Peniaga dengar taklimat perintah tembakau

Oleh Hajah Saemah Zulkefli

Antara peniaga kedai runcit dan pasar raya yang hadir mendengar taklimat mengenai perintah tembakau yang akan dikuatkuasakan 1 Jun nanti.

KUALA BELAIT, Isnin - Sekitar 40 orang peniaga kedai runcit dan pasar raya di daerah Belait hari ini mendengar taklimat Perintah Tembakau yang diadakan di Dewan Serbaguna Jabatan Kesihatan dekat sini.

Taklimat oleh Pegawai Perubatan Kanan Unit Kawalan Tembakau Dr Haji Rozaimi Haji Tengah yang antara lain bertujuan memberi kefahaman kepada peserta untuk melindungi kesihatan awam.

Beliau meminta bekerjasama dalam perkara berkenaan setelah Perintah Tembakau itu nanti dikuatkuasakan pada 1 Jun nanti. Taklimat itu turut memberi penerangan mengenai papan tanda yang akan digunakan setelah perintah itu dikuatkuasakan nanti dimulakan dengan semua yang terlibat terutama peniaga yang dibenarkan menjual rokok.

Peniaga juga mendengar penerangan mengenai cara-cara menjual, lesen yang diperlukan, cara-cara mempamerkan rokok dan akta-akta serta peraturan yang telah ditetapkan bagi larangan itu.

Bahagian dua kawalan produk tempatan menyatakan larangan membekalkan kepada pembeli berumur di bawah 18 tahun seperti dalam Bab 9 serta meminta bukti umur pembeli. Mereka yang melanggar peraturan itu didenda $5,000.

Kawalan merokok bagi mereka yang berusia 18 tahun ke bawah termasuk dalam Bab 10 dan penampalan notis larangan bersesuaian (Bab 11) dengan pelanggaran kedua-dua bab itu boleh menyebabkan didenda juga $5,000.

Antara kawalan produk tembakau ialah kuasa untuk melesenkan pengimport dan penjual (Bab 12), Peraturan Tembakau (Pelesenan Pengimport, Pemborong dan Peniaga Runcit (2007), iaitu produk tembakau tidak boleh diedarkan, dijual atau ditawarkan untuk dijual tanpa lesen, selain pembayaran lesen $2,500 setahun bagi mengimport dan menjual borong borong dan bayaran $300 setahun bagi lesen berniaga runcit.

Quitting not such a bad thing

By Sham

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Getting involved in sports can help ease off the urge to take a puff. - PHOTOS: SHAM

Lots of exercises, such as brisk walking, running and even hill trekking can be done with relative ease once you stop smoking.

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With the Tobacco Order to be enforced on June 1, the relevant authorities should be highly applauded for aiming to protect the health of the public. This is none other than to ensure the clean bill of health of the citizens from the ill-effects of smoking.

There are millions of smokers in the world and there are also millions of them trying to quit it. Unsurprisingly, most smokers find it difficult to kick the habit. Without a doubt, it is really not an easy thing to do. In fact, it is like the proverb 'landing a square peg in a round hole'.

If anyone has tried to quit smoking, they will know how tough it can be. One of the very reasons why it is very hard is simply because the nicotine in the cigarette is a very addictive drug.

The more they smoke, the more they feel comfortable.

Usually people will try more than once to quit. They try two or three times before they are finally able to do it, that is if they are willing enough and if it is successful, it is one of the most satisfying things that one will ever do.

For every individual who is a smoker, there will always be the feeling and desire to completely stop the unhealthy habit. There are also smokers of different ages and of different levels doing it for different reasons.

To say smoking is bad for health is an understatement. All the bad contents in the cigarette such as tar, ashes, and other poisonous chemicals can harm a person's body over time, yet people still do it. So why do people still smoke and put their lifes at risk?

It is widely believed that youngsters start smoking simply because they think that it is a cool thing to do. That holding a cigarette in hand is a symbol of 'macho-ness', an indication of a mature man. If only they would know of the trouble that they are dragging themselves into.

For many adults, men and women, on the other hand, starting this unhealthy habit is mostly caused by stress. Most notably, stress from work and family.

For whatever reasons, the clandestine idiocy should not rule over common sense. All logic and good sense cannot just be thrown out of the window and jeopardise our own health.
Whatever causes and triggers this habit, to educate the people about its danger, on the other hand, can be a tall order. That is partly because we now live in a society where many are rather firm to stand by their rights and that changes also take forever to take effect.

Across the country, govern-ment buildings have forbid indoor smoking in addition to more stringent rules which will be implemented in the future. The no-smoking order is also imposed in many restaurants and cafes across the country now. Designated areas have been provided for smokers in restaurants and cafes whereby the seats are usually arranged outdoors.

It has been known that in order to stop smoking, one has to put in a tremendous amount of effort and determination.

However, there are those who believe that the secret to kicking the habit does not lie in the products itself but actually relies on the person. It involves strong will, determination and discipline. How many times have we come across someone we know who has successfully quit smoking only to start the habit again? The answer is, most likely, too often. What exactly does it take to completely stop smoking and to never return to the habit again?

Why is it so difficult to quit?

It is believed that both the individual's mental and psychological state and his or her surrounding will determine the success of the need to quit smoking. When there is a desire in an individual to stop smoking, it must come from within and not dictated by those around him or her. In other words, the wish to change is a choice made by the individual and not by others.

A person who is trying to quit will always find it harder to kick the habit if he or she is constantly surrounded by those who smoke. Therefore it is best to avoid being in the company of these people.

Support and encouragement from those around are vital in pushing oneself closer to an achieved goal. This is why one's determination and self discipline has to be strong when confronted with this daunting goal because more often than not, the journey will not be an easy one.

To have a better chance of quitting, get support in as many ways as possible.

People close to you also play an important role in giving you support too: friends, family, and colleagues. These people should be informed of your desire to quit and that you need their support and encouragement. Always request them to skip the cigarette whenever they are around you: a request which indirectly could train them to help curb the habit too.

Another method in trying to quit is by picturing all the benefits that a non-smoker can boast.

One thing for sure, those who do not smoke are a lot healthier. The chance of living a longer and better life is, of course, also greater. By not smoking, the chance of having a heart attack or stroke can be lowered.

In contrast to those who pollute their body with the smoke from the cigarettes, women who do not posses this harmful habit will have a much better chance of having a very healthy baby; a dream for every couple.

Parents who smoke also have bigger chance of endangering their children. Considering they are living under one roof, the children are facing negative consequences when their parents are smokers because in some ways, they indirectly and dangerously have become passive smokers too.

Another good thing for a person who has quit smoking is the improvement of his or her cardio. Huffing and puffing could well be the thing of the past for a person who no longer smokes. Lots of exercises, such as brisk walking, running and even hill trekking can be done with relative ease. One will have more energy and can focus better.

Think of all the money that you can save by not buying cigarettes. Rather than 'burning' it, the money can be better spent for other good things, especially for family.

By having a positive outlook and a strong belief that an individual is capable of achieving such task will guide him or her closer to the goal. For the lucky some, this positive state of mind is possible when he or she has to deal with new responsibility where change is required, for example when starting a family or being a new parent, where the individual is required to put forth a more positive and admirable example towards the children.

Whatever one's reason is to stop smoking and by whatever means, most would agree that it would be no easy journey. Many have tried different type of products. Others may have sought help from friends. Unfortunately, many also have failed.

In some worst case scenarios, few actually have almost achieved their target but only to be mentally impeded at the crucial moment and to no one's surprise, eventually surrender to the bad old habit again and see their dream crumbles. Equally unfortunate is the fact that many people quit before they even get started. That is why people should be prepared for the relapse.

Those who try to quit smoking should not be discouraged by the difficult task in trying to achieve the goal of kicking this habit. No matter how difficult the task is, one must be very strong and prepared. Those who wish to try should hold on to the old adage, "Prepare for the worst, hope for the best."

Just remember that it is definitely possible to completely quit this unhealthy and undesirable habit. And yes, it takes an awful lot of hard work, lots of solid effort, but you can do it. We all can. While it was relatively easy for some, it is still a general conviction amongst many that it is not. But then again, anything really worth winning never is.

Just try to keep this in mind. There are millions of people out there who have successfully quit smoking for good. One of them can be you!

Ways to quit smoking

By Dr Haji Rozaimee bin Haji Tengah
Senior Medical Officer
Ministry of Health


What are the ways a smoker can do to quit smoking?

There are 10 steps to quit smoking, according to EBM (evidence-based medicine):

1. Fix the day. Commit yourself to a specific 'Quit Day'. This 'Quit Day' may be your Date of Birth, your Wedding Day, a very close friend who had died due to tobacco smoking, May 31, the date announced by the WHO as World No Tobacco Day, or the first day of Ramadhan for Muslims.

2. Quit with a friend. Try to get a friend, partner or work mate to quit with you.

3. Cash not ash. At the end of each day, set aside the cash you would normally have spent on smoking, and use this accumulated cash to treat yourself to, let say, a 12- day trip to Saudi Arabia to perform umrah.

4. Throw away all cigarettes and all smoking materials, such as ashtrays, lighters and matches, just before your 'Quit Day.'

5. Train your mind by saying 'I will never ever smoke again in my life'.

6. Distract yourself. When you stop smoking, your hands, mouth and brain will miss cigarettes, especially after meals, or when bored or stressed. So, keep busy by taking up a new hobby, such as routine exercise.

7. Get professional assistance from those who may be able to offer nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). In private pharmacies in Brunei Darussalam, there are several NRT available, namely nicotine gum, nicotine patches, nicotine inhalator as well as nicotine lozenges.

8. Commit yourself to saying 'No thanks, I do not smoke', when offered cigarettes.

9. Watch your weight. Because of improved taste and smell, and the absence of nicotine, which suppresses the appetite, weight gain is a common problem on quitting smoking. So, regular exercise is recommended.

10. If you do not succeed at your first attempt, please plan to quit again and again.


Benefits of smoking cessation:

• Former smokers have fewer days of illness, fewer health complaints and view themselves as healthier
• Within one day of quitting, the chances of a heart attack decreases
• Within two days of quitting, smell and taste are enhanced
• Within two weeks to three months of quitting, circulation improves and lung function increases by up to 30 per cent
• Former smokers live longer: after 10 to 15 years abstinence, the risk of dying almost returns to that of people who never smoked
• Women who stop smoking before or during the first trimester of pregnancy reduce risks to their baby to a level comparable to that of women who have never smoked

Effect of anti-smoking interventions at six months

Intervention Effect size
Anti-smoking leaflet Two per cent
Intensive support (eg. smoking clinic) Seven per cent
NRT Five per cent
Intensive support (smoking clinic + buproprion/NRT) 13 -19 per cent

Why teens smoke?

If a person does not start smoking before the age of 20, he or she will probably never become a smoker. However, by the time smokers become adults, the choice to stop becomes an illusion. Although two-thirds of smokers want to quit and about a third try each year, only two per cent succeed.

Five reasons why teens smoke:
1. Peer pressure - Many teens are extremely self-conscious. They don't want to appear 'different'. If friends are smoking, a teen may feel tempted to smoke as well. But a smoking habit, with its associated risks, is a high price to pay for being part of a crowd.

2. Advertising images - Magazines and billboards often make smoking seem sophisticated and 'cool'. They never show the ugly sides of smoking or tell how dangerous it is.

3. Insecurity - Some teens smoke to try to feel more at ease around other people. But a cigarette is no substitute for self-confidence.

4. Concern with weight - Some teens smoke because they think it will help them keep off unwanted kilogrammes. But smoking won't make you thin and it's one of the worst things you can do to your health.

5. A need to rebel - Some teens start smoking because they know their parents don't want them to. But in many cases, these teens got the idea to smoke from their parents. They are not rebelling so much as imitating.