Indonesian smokers ranked 7th in world<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Almost 60 percent of Indonesia's population of 215 million are
\nsmokers, making it the seventh-largest smoking country in the
\nworld, an official told Antara.<\/p>\n
Deputy Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Farid W.
\nHusain said on Tuesday the latest data issued by the World Health
\nOrganization (WHO) Southeast Asia representative had prompted the
\ngovernment to step up its campaign to raise people's awareness of
\nthe hazards of tobacco.<\/p>\n
Ministry of Health data shows that 57,000 people die of
\nsmoking-related diseases in the country every year. The world
\ntotal stands at four million.<\/p>\n
An estimated 1.1 billion people on earth are smokers, 800
\nmillion of whom live in developing countries, according to WHO.<\/p>\n
Farid described the increase in the number of cigarette
\nconsumers in Indonesia as significant as it was ranked a low 19th
\n10 years ago.<\/p>\n
He said the government had sought every avenue to curb the
\nincidence of smoking, including the issuance of Government
\nRegulation No. 38\/2000, aimed at protecting people from the
\ndangers of tobacco.<\/p>\n
The regulation, which replaced Regulation No. 81\/1999, bans
\nany display of cigarette products for advertisement purposes. The
\nruling allows TV stations to air ads for tobacco products between
\n9.30 p.m. and 5 a.m.<\/p>\n
It restricts the nicotine content to a maximum of 0.2 mg and
\nthe maximum tar content to 15 mg per cigarette. All cigarette
\nproducts must bear a warning of the dangers of smoking to health.<\/p>\n
Farid admitted that despite the intensifying campaign against
\ntobacco, the government could not close down tobacco companies,
\nwhich employ four million workers and contribute Rp 27 trillion
\nto state revenues annually.<\/p>\n
He said the government was considering a policy to encourage
\nthe tobacco industry to focus on exports instead of the domestic
\nmarket and to persuade tobacco farmers to turn gradually to other
\ncrops. The government might also ask the Indonesian Ulemas
\nCouncil to declare tobacco haram (forbidden under Islamic law).<\/p>",
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