Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad today announced that cigarette prices are set to go up next month, while the minimum age to purchase alcohol will be raised from 18 to 21.

Shops selling alcohol, as well as the products, will also be required to display a sign stating that alcohol can be harmful to a person's health, Dzulkefly told a press conference at the Parliament lobby today.

Under existing regulations, cigarette boxes are already displaying notices that smoking can be harmful to health.

"The implementation of the sales and services tax (SST) recently would require the prices of all tobacco products to be raised," said Dzulkefly, adding that this was in line with the Control of Tobacco Products Regulations 2004.

The latest measures came amid a tougher stance by the Health Ministry on smoking.

Yesterday, Dzulkefly declared Parliament a smoke-free zone and eight people, including an MP, were subsequently fined for violating the new rule.

Deputy Health Minister Dr Lee Boon Chye had also announced a plan to declare all restaurants as no-smoking zones effective next year. 

Complying with global standards

On minimum age for purchasing alcohol, Dzukefly said the measure was in line with the Global Strategy to Reduce the Harmful Use of Alcohol, which was agreed upon during the 63rd World Health Assembly in 2010.

He said the new rule was gazetted on May 27, 2016, but is only being enforced beginning today.

Dzulkefly said the new standards also saw the creation of a new rule to define compounded hard liquor (CHL) that is different from regular alcoholic drinks.

"The CHL standard was created to control the safety and quality of products and to provide accurate information to consumers."

He said examples of CHL are whisky, rum, vodka and brandy.

Dzulkefly said the new rules require that CHL is sold in a glass bottle with a capacity of not more than 700ml.

Failure to comply with these regulations, he added, could lead to a fine of up to RM10,000 or two years' imprisonment.