Sutiyoso wants penalties for smoking

Sutiyoso wants penalties for smoking

Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

Smokers, beware. Lighting a cigarette in public places might end
up in a jail sentence of six months or a fine of Rp 5 million
(US$562) if Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso has his way in the
deliberation of a draft bylaw on air pollution.

In an attempt to make the capital a "smoke-free city",
Sutiyoso's administration is trying to insert clauses on
cigarette smoking in public places into the draft bylaw on air
pollution now being deliberated by the Jakarta Council.

"The inclusion of the smoking ban in the draft bylaw would
speed up the city's effort to control smoking in public places,"
Sutiyoso said at his office on Monday.

He said that he would submit a separate draft bylaw on smoking
to the City Council after councillors concluded their debates on
the air pollution control draft.

If endorsed, the draft is expected to become a strong legal
basis to clean up Jakarta's air, which has long been considered
one of the worst in the world.

The draft bylaw, among others, requires all vehicles --
considered major air polluters in the capital -- to undergo
emissions tests in order to have their certificates renewed.

Currently, only public transportation and cargo vehicles are
subject to vehicular emission tests.

According to Sutiyoso, smoke-free zones to be stipulated
in the draft include public transportation vehicles (buses,
trains and minivans), offices and other air-conditioned
buildings, such as malls.

The governor also brought up the idea of a smoking ban last
year during the celebration of the National Children's Day on
July 23.

In a gubernatorial decree dated Feb. 9, Sutiyoso required
all administration officials, workers and guests to refrain
from smoking in the administration's offices.

However, many city officials continue to ignore the smoking
ban decree because there was no punishment against violators.

Studies have shown that many of Jakarta's smokers are
children. A recent survey carried out by the Pelita Ilmu
Foundation estimated that about three million teenagers in the
country were regular smokers with 20 percent of them still in
junior high school.

Sutiyoso said the administration would construct special
places for smokers in public places soon after the city has a
legal basis to control smoking.

"We need to prepare facilities for smokers so that they will
not violate the regulation," he added.

So far, little has been done by the government to discourage
people from smoking despite the existence of Government
Regulation No. 81/1999 on the protection of public health, which
requires smoke-free zones in public places, buildings and aboard
public transportation.

Data from the Ministry of Health shows that about 57,000
people in the country are known to die annually from tobacco-
related illnesses, including heart disease, respiratory diseases,
mouth cancer, throat cancer and strokes.