Support and much praise for ban on ‘smoke’ candies

June 8, 2013

SIBU: The government must stop the sale of food products that could influence consumers to develop an unhealthy lifestyle.

Assistant Youth Minister Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, who said this yesterday, added: “Any product that promotes an unhealthy lifestyle should be checked”.

He was asked to comment on the sale of ‘smoke’ candies which look like cigarettes front-paged by The Borneo Post yesterday.

The Food Safety and Quality Unit of Health Ministry had raised the alarm over these candies which are made in China and had issued a stern warning to traders to remove them from the shelves.

Felician Teo, a councillor from Maradong, lauded the Ministry of Health’s (MOH) swift move to clamp down on the sale of these ‘smoke’ candies.

Teo, in supporting the stringent measure, said yesterday nipping the threat posed by the candies in the bud was the right move as kids buying these cadies could be influenced to take up smoking when they grew up.

“MOH is right to act swiftly to ban the so called smoke candies from hitting the streets. Such pre-emptive actions must be lauded as these so called candies can cause young kids to pick up smoking habit later in life.

“While eating candies in itself is no threat to social behaviour among the children, the cigarette shaped candies may lead children to think that they are mimicking adult social behaviour,” Teo told The Borneo Post yesterday.

He added that society must be vigilant even when confronted with what may seemingly be a harmless act such as eating candies but might have long term repercussions on personal lifestyles.

Meanwhile, Sarawak Teachers’ Union (STU) acting president Jisin Nyud said childhood puffs on ‘smoke’ candies may lead to a smoking habit later in life.

“The risk of becoming a smoker could be associated with eating candy cigarettes during childhood. This can become reality when they feel that it is a ‘cool’ thing to smoke.

He concurred that ‘smoke’ candies are more than harmless replicas of cigarettes.

“STU hopes that parents would not let their children have these products. We also need the cooperation from retailers not to sell these things,” he said.