Civil Servants Told To Quit Smoking
By James Kon

Bandar Seri Begawan - Public servants were urged to quit smoking and help reduce the smoking habit during the Tobacco Order 2005 course held yesterday at the Banquet Hall of the Legislative Council building.

The Ministry of Health has organised promotions, roadshows, briefings and dialogue sessions many times on the Tobacco Order 2005 with the aim of reducing the smoking habit among the people and citizens of the country, said Dato Paduka Haji Mustappa bin Hj Sirat, Permanent Secretary at the Prime Minister's Office.

He urged all permanent secretaries, deputy permanent secretaries, and head of departments to support the aspiration of the Ministry of Health to stop the habit of smoking among the civil servant community in Brunei Darussalam.

This includes tightening the prohibition of smoking in government premises and buildings like sport and recreational complex, canteen, schools, hospitals and others under the management of each ministry and department.

He highlighted regulations under Tobacco Order 2005 and Tobacco Regulations 2007.

"Civil servants represent the government's workforces that power the development, improvement and rejuvenation of public services in Brunei Darussalam. A healthy civil service community will to be innovative and full of new ideas that produce high quality work.

As one of the efforts in safeguarding public servants' health, the government has arranged health checks at all ministries and departments through stages," he said.

Also present were Pengiran Harun bin Pengiran Hj Aliudin, Senior Administrative Officer at the Prime Minister's Office and other senior officers from various ministries.

Dr Zulhilmi Bin POKHP DSS Hj Abdullah, Senior Medical Officer from the Ministry of Health, revealed that 17.5 per cent of the population who are 15 years old and above are smokers.

There are more than 40,000 smokers in Brunei Darussalam and a majority of them are in the age group of 20 to 34 years old. It is estimated that 50 per cent of the smokers are men while 30 per cent are women.

He revealed the negative affects of smoking and the many poisonous chemicals contained in a cigarette.

Smoking causes stroke, cataract, coronary heart disease, pneumonia, lung cancer, stomach cancer, kidney cancer, colon cancer, oesophagus cancer and other diseases, he said.

The civil servants heard a presentation on the regulation of Tobacco Order 2005 delivered by Dk Hajah Siti Rahmah binti Pg Hj Mohammad, Deputy senior legal Advisor, Attorney General's Office.

With the enforcement of the Tobacco Order 2005 and Tobacco Regulations 2007, under Division IV of section 17 (1) advertisements and promotions relating to smoking in the country is an offence.

Under the Tobacco Order, smoking is prohibited in government premises such as hospital, health clinic, health centre, all premises and buildings used for commercial purposes, industrial and recreational, places for eating, Internet café, all places and buildings public has access to, such as in public places where two or more people are queuing up, all areas of educational institutions and higher education institutions as well as public transport like buses and taxis.  -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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