Majority of RI population are active smokers: Expert<\/p>\n
Sari P. Setiogi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
About 70 percent of Indonesia's population of 215 million people
\nare active smokers, a cardiologist says.<\/p>\n
Adnil Basha, a cardiologist working with the National
\nCardiovascular Center at Harapan Kita Hospital, said on Saturday
\nthat smoking in Indonesia doubled from the 1970s through the
\n1990s, making it the fourth largest cigarette consumer after the
\nUnited States, China and Japan.<\/p>\n
Abnil said that at least 60 percent of active smokers were
\npoor people who had difficulty meeting their daily basic needs.<\/p>\n
\"This shows that smoking has become a national issue in
\nIndonesia because it is not only a health issue but also an
\neconomic one,\" Abnil said at the opening ceremony of the Klinik
\nStop Merokok (Quit Smoking Clinic) at the Harapan Kita Hospital
\nin West Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The clinic, which will offer free services in the first month
\nof its operation, was opened in conjunction with the World No
\nTobacco Day on May 31.<\/p>\n
Adnil said the number of young female smokers aged between 15
\nand 18 had also increased to account for 20 percent of total
\nyouths in the age bracket.<\/p>\n
He said the average Indonesian started smoking at the age of
\n10, with youths aged between 15 and 19 years old accounting for
\n59.6 percent of active smokers in the country.<\/p>\n
The number of smokers among females aged 30 years old or above
\naccounts for 30 percent of female smokers, said Adnil, adding
\nthat at least 28.3 percent of smokers coming from low-income
\nIndonesians spend 15.6 percent of their monthly income on
\ncigarettes.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, chairwoman of the Indonesian Heart Foundation
\n(YJI), Firda Nerri A. Sani, said most people spent about 9.6
\npercent of their budget on cigarettes each month.<\/p>\n
A cigarette has about 4,000 ingredients, 200 of them dangerous
\nto health including tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide.<\/p>\n
At least 57,000 people died of smoking-related diseases in
\n2001 alone, compared to four million people globally.<\/p>\n
\"It means about 11,000 people die every day in the world
\nbecause of smoking, or one person every eight seconds,\" said
\nLaksmiati A. Hanafiah, one of the YJI chairpersons.<\/p>\n
\"Labels saying a product is low in tar or nicotine, mild or
\neven light make no difference when it comes to smoking-related
\ndiseases,\" director of the National Cardiovascular Center Aulia
\nSani said.<\/p>\n
\"We expect the clinic to reduce the number of active smokers
\nin the country by 1 percent every year to achieve a healthy
\nIndonesia in 2010,\" said Firda.<\/p>\n
During the month of June, services at the clinic will be free
\nof charge.<\/p>\n
Earlier, health minister Achmad Sujudi said that the
\ngovernment would soon draft a bill on tobacco control as the
\ncountry, together with 191 other members of the World Health
\nOrganization (WHO), had adopted the Framework Convention on
\nTobacco Control (FCTC).<\/p>\n
The convention requires member countries to impose
\nrestrictions on tobacco advertising, sponsorship and promotion,
\nestablish new labeling, as well as clean indoor air controls and
\nstrengthen legislation to clamp down on tobacco smuggling.<\/p>\n
\"Indonesia will soon ratify the convention and soon after that
\nprepare a bill on tobacco control,\" Sujudi said.<\/p>\n
The bill, he said, would be focused on limiting tobacco
\nadvertising, sponsorship and promotion. \"Advertisements that
\nviolate the law may be banned,\" he said.<\/p>",
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