Old habits die hard. Yet, this 'belief' should be no excuse for smokers to not want to kick their disgusting habit. If they still choose to cling on to the aforementioned maxim, then maybe the fact that 10,000 in the country die due smoking might influence them to want to relinquish this habit for good.

It is truly a paradox that while so many facts and statistics are crying foul over cigarette smoking addiction, more and more people are taking to cigarettes like ducks to water. Do they not fear the high risk of developing lung cancer? Or chronic bronchitis? Or cancer of the larynx (voice box)? And what about smokers putting non-smokers at risk for lung cancer via second-hand smoke?

The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) said recently that smoking will result in 10 million deaths worldwide annually by 2030 if prevailing puffing habits do not change. At present, smoking leads to four million deaths among the world's estimated 1.1 billion smokers.

The MMA also points out that dadah addicts in the country started off with smoking before moving on to drugs. And this was also one reason why the number of new addicts keeps increasing each year. Globally, thousands of people are trying their first cigarette each day, with 80,000 to 100,000 doomed to become regular smokers.

For Malaysia, its feeble attempt at educating the people on the dangers of smoking and the converting of more public spheres into 'no smoking' zones has done little to help. The mentality that 'rules are made to be broken' is deep-rooted in the minds of some people and that perhaps explains the attitude of some smokers who nonchalantly light up their cigarettes in public places.

It seemed at one point that Malaysia had come to its wits end in fighting the cigarette-smoking menace amongst its people. The recent Tak Nak! anti-smoking campaign launched by Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in February is yet another 'expensive' effort by the government in fighting the nicotine battle.

Unenforced legislation

The five-year Tak Nak! effort will cost the government a whopping RM100 million. The mechanics of the campaign have not been disclosed to the public and all that is known is that the aim of this anti-smoking campaign is to dissuade smoking through awareness based on scientific findings. The programme targets all schools in the country.

While Tak Nak! is good in its purpose, whatever happened to the efficacy of existing legislation which allows the authorities to take action against those below the age of 18 from smoking in public and possessing or buying cigarettes?

It is becoming a common to see schoolchildren, especially schoolboys, puffing in a group be it at mamak stalls or while walking in public places.

Our lawmakers came out with the Control of Tobacco Products Regulations 1993 (Amendment 1997) which makes it an offence for anyone under the age of 18 to buy or indulge in smoking. Those caught doing so, either in a public or private place, face a fine of not more than RM1,000.

And retailers who sell cigarettes to minors are also not spared - they can be fined up to RM5,000 or jailed for up to two years. But this regulation has not helped keep minors away from picking up cigarette-smoking as a habit.

While chances are good that law enforcers might stumble upon those below 18 smoking in a public domain, how are they going to nab anyone under 18 who is smoking in a private residence?

The law will not make a dent if political will and genuine commitment from the government is not forthcoming in fighting the smoking scourge. While decision makers have no qualms about forking out taxpayers money for one anti-smoking campaign after another, they seem to be indifferent to the call to exclude tobacco companies from sponsoring major sports events in the country.

Negligible success

Mere propaganda efforts will not solve the problem. While direct tobacco-related advertisements have been banned in both electronic and print media, there are still some avenues sourced by cigarette companies to 'promote' their various brands of cigarettes.

The sports fraternity seems to be the most targeted and we have the jerseys worn by local footballers bearing the logos of tobacco companies. Spectator sports like the Formula One Grand Prix and sepak takraw have been 'corrupted' by the penetration of tobacco companies. Until 2006, both Formula One and sepak takraw will gave and display the 'support' of tobacco companies.

A World Health Organisation (WHO) study done last year revealed that half of Malaysian men smoke. As for our female smokers, they form about 10 percent (450,000) of the total population of 15 years and above who smoke, something that was unheard of previously.

The last decade has seen the number of smokers raise by one million. Newspaper reports have stated that between 10 and 12 percent of deaths in Malaysia are due to smoking-related diseases, at the rate of 10,000 per year, or one preventable death every hour.

The facts and figures speak for themselves. Yet the country has seen negligible success in keeping people away from picking up the smoking habit. Even the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) sponsored by WHO and ratified by the Malaysian government in September last year has brought no 'liberation' in this challenging fight against cigarette smoking.

(The FCTC is an international instrument that leads the way for tighter control on the tobacco industry and on cigarette smoking through new laws. Article 19 of the convention has provisions that make the tobacco industry accountable for all harm and damage incurred as a result of using their product).

By signing the FCTC, Malaysia is required to undertake commitments ranging from curbing tobacco-related advertising - both direct and indirectly- to raising the price of cigarettes and other tobacco-related products.

Huge market

Only time will tell to what extent the Malaysian government fulfills this commitment. The excuse that our government is not able to ban indirect tobacco advertising due to the large revenue brought in should not be condoned.

This stand by the government is an overt show of its lack of concern for the well-being of its people. In countries like Norway, Finland, France and New Zealand, a 20-year advertising freeze on cigarettes had resulted in a significant drop in cigarette consumption.

But the opposite is happening in Asia, which presents a huge market. In China alone, there are over 300 million smokers. When Ukraine introduced a ban on cigarette advertising in 1995, tobacco companies lobbied 'till death do us part' to get it annulled, citing the loss of some US$400 million in revenue to the Ukraine economy.

The ban was immediately lifted and Ukraine has gone on to become the second largest tobacco market after China.

The world has long been making clarion calls to the tobacco-industry to reflect on its conscience and spare more people from falling prey to their hazardous habit. But the industry players have yet to respond.

In Malaysia, tobacco companies spend about RM400 million in advertising annually. And how much they make in return is just about anyone's guess. But whatever the number is, it will too horrifying a figure for any health-respecting individual to bear. It does seem that it is the tobacco companies which are saying tak nak in this issue.

JJ RAY started her career with a mainstream publication. A non-conformist, she soon saw the barriers that went up whenever, through her writing, she tried to make the world a home for one and all.