PARLIAMENT With many lawmakers being smokers themselves, Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff (PAS-Rantau Panjang) is doubtful that the government's anti-smoking campaign will be successful.

"The impact of smoking is huge not only to smokers themselves, but to the environment, youths and school children," she told the Dewan Rakyat.

"How can we expect the rakyat to quit smoking while we at the policy-making level do not quit ourselves?" she asked during a question-and-answer session.

Following this, Deputy Health Minister Hilmi Yahaya urged all MPs to quit smoking.

Not satisfied

Earlier, Hilmi (BN-Balik Pulau) admitted the ministry was not satisfied with the results of the government's anti-smoking campaign.

He said 23 percent of males above the age of 18 and 1.5 percent of adult females were smokers.

70 percent of the smokers who pledged to quit smoking were having difficulty doing so, Hilmi further disclosed.

The government has tried various means to curbing smoking, including the Tak Nak Merokok campaign launched in 2004. It has also imposed a no smoking policy in public areas and has also banned the sale of cigarettes to minors.