Health EN – Page 103 – Consumers Association Penang

Alarming Mercury Find at Oil Palm Plantation in Penang

Admin May 31, 2016 0 Comments

The Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP) is alarmed with the recent discovery of mercury in an abandoned water meter room in an oil palm plantation in Bukit Tok Alang, Tasek Gelugor, Penang. We call upon the authorities to investigate how the mercury ended up in the vicinity of the plantation as mercury pollution poses a serious threat to human health and the environment. It was reported...

CAP calls for Plain Packaging Implementation

admin May 30, 2016 0 Comments

Since Malaysia implemented pictorial health warning (PHW) on cigarette packs since June 2009, the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS), Malaysia, reported that 92.8 per cent of current smokers (93.2 per cent of men and 74.7 per cent of women) had noticed the health warnings on the packs. It shows that PHW is effective as also found in other countries that implemented it. The PHW was implemented in...

Immediately Set Standards to Regulate Dispensing and Medicine Management in clinics

admin April 26, 2016 0 Comments

Earlier this month, a media reported an incident where a clinic assistant labelled the medicines wrongly resulting in adverse consequences for the child concerned. According to the article the child was taken to a clinic in Pasir Mas, Kelantan for rashes. He was prescribed an antibiotic and a lotion for external application. The clinic assistant labelled the medicines wrongly resulting in the...

CAP reiterates call to ban antibiotics in animal feed

admin April 15, 2016 0 Comments

The Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) would like to respond to the points raised by the deputy director-general of the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) Datuk Dr Quaza Nizamuddin Hassan Nizam in the article by Fazleena Aziz ‘DVS monitors use of antibiotics in animal feeds’ dated 17 March 2016. In his statement Dr Quaza said that: ‘A low dosage (of antibiotics) is mixed in animal...

CAP: Ban Ponceau 4R

admin April 14, 2016 0 Comments

The Consumers Association of Penang calls on the Ministry of Health to ban Ponceau 4R. The reddish - orange dye is known to cause cancer, allergic reactions and asthma. Presently it is banned in Canada, Norway and United States. Ponceau 4R is an azo dye which is produced from petroleum products. In our latest test we found 5 samples of dried prawns,2 samples of fish crackers and 1 sample of...

Impose Levy On Sugar-sweetened Soft Drinks

admin April 7, 2016 0 Comments

The prevalence of diabetes in Malaysia among adults has tripled over the last 25 years, from 6.3% in 1986 to 20.8% in 2011. In 2015 the prevalence of diabetes in Malaysia was higher than the world average with 3.3 million people with diabetes and the cost of treatment hitting an enormous 7 billion ringgit. Malaysia is one of the highest consumers of sugar worldwide. According to data from...

Download Study on “Lead in new enamel household paints in Malaysia”

admin April 1, 2016 0 Comments

This study found that 41% of the enamel paints analysed contained lead concentrations above 600 ppm, the threshold limit for lead in paint adopted by Singapore and Sri Lanka. In addition, these paints would not be allowed for sale in most industrialised countries where legal limits are even more restrictive. Included in the report is background information on: -- why the use of paints with high...

Ban vaping in hotels and other public places as well

admin March 28, 2016 0 Comments

The government recently announced the intention to ban smoking in hotels by end of 2016 and subsequently extend it to other public places. Hoteliers from the Malaysian Association of Hotels, however, wondered if the Tobacco Control and Smoking Bill will provide designated smoking zones. Until the implementation of the ban, the Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) stands firm that the government...

CAP: Eliminate Lead in Paints

admin March 22, 2016 0 Comments

The Consumers Association of Penang calls on the authorities to eliminate lead in paints. In our latest test on paints we found more than 60% of the samples tested contained exceedingly high lead levels. In a test conducted by CAP and IPEN (International POPS Elimination Network), 39 cans of solvent-based enamel decorative paint were purchased from various stores in several towns in the...

CAP: Ban talcum powder and talc-based products

admin March 10, 2016 0 Comments

Talc is similar to asbestos in composition, it’s found in baby powder, eye shadow, blush, and deodorant. Talc is linked to ovarian cancer and respiratory problems. Even though talc is widely used in cosmetics around the world, the possibility of asbestos-free talc being carcinogenic has prompted the European Union to ban talc-based cosmetics altogether. Recently, Johnson & Johnson was...

Consumers Association Penang

Category: Health EN