Nak or Tak-Nak 2

Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek confirmed that the RM100 million "Tak Nak" national anti-smoking campaign has failed. According to Dr Chua, there was no indication that the number of smokers had gobe down since the 5-year campaign was launched in February 2004.

"The allocation of millions of dollars did not achieve the desired result because the hefty sum spent on billboards were a failure and the message through the media did not reach the target group. In fact, the number of female smokers had doubled," he said.


Commenting on a Universiti Putra Malaysia study that between 1996 and 2004, 1.1 million smokers had said "Tak Nak", Dr. Chua said: "When we checked, the figure is not correct. We counterchecked with cigarette companies and they admitted that the number of smokers had actually gone up. So, I don't know how they came to that conclusion." According to Dr Chua, the study by UPM did not reflect the actual situation in the country. On the contrary, the Tak Nak campaign had increased the awareness of smoking among the teens which had increased by 23% in 2005, and are on the rise.

In the opinion of FOMCA advisor, Datuk Professor Hamdan Adnan, the public have become immune to the gory pictures of cancer-affected lungs displayed in the anti-smoking campaigns. He said the Tak Nak campaign poster that showed a crushed cigarette was instead reminding smokers to smoke.

FT public health deputy director Dr Sallehudin Abu Bakar who pioneered the quit smoking clinics feels that the Tak Nak campaign wasn't a total failure. he believed that it would take at least 10 years before we see visible results.

If Dr Sallehudin's opinion is accepted as right, then, he looks to be suggesting that the government may have to spent another RM300 million more to make another Tak Nak attempt. This time, maybe, UMNO Youth should be awarded the project so that the Malay Agenda can be fulfilled to Hishamuddin and Khairy's satisfaction.

Try-lah; harm is already there! Pak Lah can take the allocation for agriculture projects to pay for this one to satisfy Salehudin and Hisham.

Read my earlier article on Tak-Nak; NAK