Campaign targets teenage smoking
Wahyoe Boediwardhana, Kuta, Bali
The message is clear: teenagers should not smoke. That is the slogan of a campaign launched by two multinational giants, a convenience store franchise company and one of the leading cigarette producers in the world.
The companies, PT Circle K Indonesia (PT CKI) and PT Philip Morris Indonesia (PT PMI), launched the anti-smoking campaign last year and have decided to extend their commitment to prevent people under 18 years of age from smoking.
Derajat Kusuma Negara, public relations manager of PT PMI -- which produces cigarette brands Marlboro, Longbeach and L&M for Indonesia -- said the companies were committed to restricting the sale of cigarettes to teenagers.
"We believe that smoking is only for adults. Our motive is clear: we don't want teenagers under 18 years to smoke," he told reporters in Seminyak, Kuta.
PT CKI president director Nyoman Gunadi said since the program was launched last March, it had received many positive responses from the public.
"Teen smokers are a complex problem and we want to take part in the efforts to prevent it," he said, adding that the program has been implemented successfully in 65 Circle K outlets throughout Indonesia.
The seriousness of their commitment in implementing the program is evident in the company's training program for all CKI staff across the country, which teaches them how to respond to underage customers wanting to buy cigarettes -- turn them down firmly, but politely.
"If necessary, they should ask customers who appear to be underage for their identity cards," Gunadi said, adding that staff were trained to make the request politely.
PT CKI has also implemented an internal policy against staff found to have sold cigarettes to minors, he said.
PT CKI and PT PMI have also distributed stickers warning against minors smoking to more than 280 cigarette vendors in 49 cities.
The anti-smoking campaign targeting minors is also being conducted in cooperation with several leading supermarkets and convenient stores, including PT Hero Group.
Derajat said PT PMI had conducted the campaign along with 100 Hero supermarket outlets last year. This year, more than 1,000 retailers are expected to take part in the campaign.
He said while the anti-smoking campaign targeting teenagers had resulted in a decline in cigarettes sales, he was not worried, as the adult market was still solid.
The campaign against teenage smoking is supported by the Badung administration and the Balinese capital of Denpasar.
"The use of drugs among teenagers has much to do with picking up smoking at an early age," said I Ketut Pastika Dana, head of the National Unity and People's Welfare of Badung regency.
PT PMI supports about 100 campaigns in 90 countries to prevent teenage smoking, focusing on public awareness and education and drafting laws that ban cigarette sales to minors.