Smoking prevention campaigns must be intensified within the curriculum
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Deputy Minister of Health Benjamin Paulus Octavianus stated that smoking prevention campaigns need to be promoted through the education system, such as by including education on the impacts of smoking in primary and junior high school curricula, to prevent addiction and future illness.
“The data is very clear, so I believe the 15-19 age group is the most critical. We must focus on prevention. Once someone has been smoking and addicted for decades, it is not easy to stop,” Benny said in Jakarta on Wednesday.
He explained that according to various studies, smokers begin their habit during junior or senior high school. Benny noted that around the age of 14, individuals begin to experiment with new things in their lives, including smoking.
In his view, by educating children from an early age about the dangers of smoking, it will be easier for them to refuse cigarettes when offered. He even suggested that these children might eventually be the ones to advise their parents to quit smoking.
“We must develop a curriculum so that children understand that hypertension is dangerous, as are kidney damage and uncontrolled diabetes, which damage our organs over the years. Smoking and the impact of secondhand smoke cause our blood vessels to become stiff,” he said.
He expressed gratitude that therapies to stop smoking addiction, such as Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT), are now available, but emphasised that prevention is better than cure.
The Deputy Minister also highlighted the need for cross-sector collaboration to save Indonesia from the dangers of smoking. For instance, in addition to the education sector, there is a need for spatial planning to limit smoking in open areas.
Furthermore, he mentioned the importance of assisting tobacco farmers in transitioning to other professions.
Benny stated that children are a national asset, therefore such education needs to be intensified in schools and Islamic boarding schools (pesantren).
The government, he noted, has been intensifying various programmes to ensure children have the best health quality, ranging from the provision of Free Nutritious Meals (MBG), the construction of Type C hospitals in 66 regencies, Free Health Checks (CKG), to the elimination of tuberculosis.
“The Ministry of Health is currently finalising regulations aimed at reducing the appeal of tobacco products, especially for children and adolescents,” he said.
He expressed hope that the #SehatTanpaRokok (Healthy Without Smoking) campaign, involving Kenvue, the Ministry of Health, Guardian, and the Indonesian Society of Respirology (PDPI), can help build public awareness regarding the dangers of smoking.