Smoking in hospitals and buses

From Neraca

Basically I do not care if a person smokes close to me. It is his right and his money. What I object to is people smoking in public places like buses and hospitals.

One day I saw a bus passenger smoking quietly next to a fellow passenger's baby. He did not seem to care that the baby was inhaling his smoke too.

On a recent visit to Bayu Karta hospital in Karawang, West Java, I was astonished to see that many visitors to this good hospital smoked. The smoke of their cigarettes also went into the sick wards. I did not see any no-smoking signs. Visitors were only asked to keep the place clean.

The security guard told me that visitors were frequently asked not to smoke. They obeyed, but after a while they lit up a new cigarette. "I am tired of reminding people not to smoke," he said. Apparently, many of us are not environmentally conscious.

Apart from traffic discipline, the government should promote an awareness of the environment and the hazards of smoking.

I would like to appeal to Bayu Karta hospital to ask its visitors to refrain from smoking in the hospital. A written warning may be phrased this way: "Thank you very much for not smoking in this hospital and worsening the condition of our patients."

TAJUDDIN

Karawang, West Java