A viral video of a young man smoking near a toddler in an eatery has irked netizens, who criticised him for his lack of consideration for the young child’s health.
Moreover, the Malaysian government has already banned smoking in eateries under the Public Health Act 2024 (Act 852). Offenders may face a fine of up to RM5,000.
Posted on Reddit, the viral video showed a young man holding a lit cigarette while seated with three other young men. His table was shown to be situated opposite the toddler and her family.
The Reddit user who posted the video has since reported the smoker to the Health Ministry hotline via WhatsApp.
Reddit users expressed their disgust at the smoker’s actions and urged that the young man be reported to the authorities.
“It’s common sense not to smoke in front of others, especially toddlers, considering the effects of second-hand smoke. I am a smoker myself, and I don’t even like people smoking when I am eating. Have some respect for others,” commented @RaphaelSlader.
“It is because of these smokers’ classy behaviours that I no longer bring younger family members to mamak restaurants that do not or cannot control people smoking within their premises,” said @Initial-Roll-9662.
User @0bsidian0bliterator0 even advocated for the Malaysian government’s Generational End Game (GEG) policy, which prohibits the sale of tobacco products to those born after 1 January 2007 – despite the policy having already been scrapped.
Meanwhile, some users advised the Reddit account holder to confront the smoker directly. However, the account responded that they had previously been physically assaulted after confronting other smokers about their behaviour on separate occasions.
