Anti-smoking lobby turns up the heat

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian anti-smoking lobby, encouraged by the rapid drop in the number of smokers in the country, is demanding that the government issue regulations against smoking in public places.

The Communication Forum to Contain the Dangers of Smoking (FKPBM) said the campaign cannot succeed without the government's support.

FKPBM chairperson Mrs. Hupudio said that government offices would make an ideal place to start banning smoking.

She acknowledged that a number of government agencies, including the Ministries of Home Affairs and Transportation, have already barred smoking in their offices.

She was speaking during a press conference yesterday that announced the forum's plan to organize a seminar next Tuesday to discuss the role of the media in the campaign against smoking.

Although the anti-smoking campaign in Indonesia has been modest compared to those launched in other countries, the Indonesian Heart Foundation reported that the number of smokers in Indonesia has been declining at a rate of three million each year, Hupudio said.

She said that the public was generally aware that smoking was a health hazard, but added that addressing the issue was complex because the domestic cigarette industry is a major contributor to the government's tax income and employs thousands of workers.

She suggested that the anti-smoking campaign specifically target young people given that they make up the bulk of the smokers in Indonesia.

She also recalled that a survey by the heart foundation established that up to 30 percent of the junior high school students who smoke picked up the habit from their parents.

Next week's seminar, which will coincide with international no-smoking day on May 31, will feature a number of foreign speakers.

They include Judith Mac Kay, who will present a paper entitled The Role of The Media in The Tobacco Epidemic, and Hatai Chitanondh with a paper on Tobacco Control in a Developing Country. Other speakers include Ascobat Gani, Juzar Junin, Tribuana Said MDS and Bismar Siregar. (emb)