Statistic Smokers in Malaysia

• About half of all Malaysian men smoke.
• Every day about 50 teenagers below the age of 18 start smoking
• Studies show about 30% of adolescent boys (aged 12 to 18) smoke.
• Smoking among female teens is rising. According to two studies on teens conducted in 1996 and 1999, the numbers of female teens smoking rose from 4.8% to 8%. Overall, the 1999 study found nearly one in five teens smokes.
• Some studies have shown that lung cancer is rising at a rate of 17% a year.
• Smoking is estimated to have caused more than half a million coronary events.
• Smoking rates are highest in rural Kelantan and lowest in urban Penang and Sarawak.
• Although there are restrictions on advertising, tobacco companies have found ways to bypass these laws through using brand names and remain the top advertisers. Heavily advertised products include the Benson and Hedges bistro, Dunhill accessories, Marlboro clothing, Kent Horizon Tours and Salem Cool Planet concerts.
• Malaysia has been dubbed the “indirect advertising capital” of the world. Some of the tobacco industry’s most blatant efforts to target young people can be seen here.
• Spending on tobacco advertising is extremely high. In 1997, the industry spent about $90 million, while in the year 2000, two tobacco firms alone reportedly spent more than US$40 million.
• At least two tobacco companies were among the top 10 advertisers in recent years.