MANY restaurant and cafe owners have questioned the effectiveness of the Tobacco Order enforcement earlier this year, saying that not only has it affected their business, but some patrons still continue to smoke in public places.
The implementation of this law has put a lot of businesses in jeopardy, said the owner of a four-year-old restaurant in Batu Bersurat.
"Yes I believe it is a good thing the government wants to promote a healthy country and I am all for encouraging people to quit smoking because it is a bad habit, but I wish they took more time in considering the commercial implications of such a law."
"I think the government should have seriously thought it through because a lot of businesses are going bust because of it and it's just not fair," added the owner who did not want to be named.
He said that profits have dropped 30 per cent and he was not the only restaurant feeling the crunch, since the Tobacco Order was enforced.
"It is not a good thing when nobody's held accountable for making my business suffer and I am unable to pay the restaurant's rent."
He said that he does not notice whether there were any customers who came to his restaurant and smoked and he would rather turn a blind eye towards them.
"The implications of you being fined by the government for disobeying the law is not as bad as when you are being sued or kicked out by the landlord for not paying the restaurant's rent because that means that all the investment you have put into the facilities of your business will go down the drain. That is why I think this law is ridiculous as it is not as effective."
The restaurant owner believed the best approach to reducing smokers was to impose high taxes on cigarettes.
"By taxing you do not only make the customer think twice about buying cigarettes, but that tax money could also be used to serve better purposes such as to pay for the health care of those that have been affected by cigarette smoking."
"You can't just implement this law and leave it to God's graces expecting people to suddenly stop smoking. I really think they should change to the concept of taxation instead of restriction," he added.
He said that the law should be lighter on certain restaurants where they could designate a certain area for smokers that would not affect other non-smoking patrons.
This sentiment was also shared by the manager of a popular cafe in Gadong, who believed that a smoking zone should be set up for smokers in specified places.
"The Tobacco Order has affected our business a lot, and we are really suffering. We often get customers wanting to smoke and asking why they can't and all I can say is I am just following the law. On occasions we do get people who still choose to disobey and I can't really stop them because they are paying customers who believe it is their right."
The manager argued that the Tobacco Order was also ineffective as people who were not allowed to smoke in the premises of the restaurant would just stand outside and smoke in the direction of passersby.
"People like to sit outside to smoke while they're enjoying their drinks. Now with the no smoking law in place, they would rather just smoke elsewhere which leaves my cafe lacking customers."
"People can still smoke in their cars and I still see underaged children smoking at corners of buildings, so I don't see how this law is supposed to discourage people from smoking."
Rex Corliane, supervisor of a popular cafe in Kiulap, said that while he does not allow people to smoke in the cafe, he could not stop people from smoking outside the cafe because he does not want to cause a scene as it would be bad for business.
Bravo, a supervisor for a restaurant in Beribi, said that he tried to explain the law to his customers who smokes, but they still chose to smoke outside of the cafe.
"Either stricter laws need to be enforced, or there should be an amendment of the Tobacco Order which works more effectively."
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