Ministry Of Health Records 449 District Cities In Indonesia Already Have Regulations For Non-Smoking Areas

Illustration of cigarette butts. (Pixabay)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) noted that 449 of the total 514 regencies/cities in Indonesia already have regulations for Non-Smoking Areas (KTR).

"We update this number as of May 2023," said Director General of Disease Prevention and Control (P2P) of the Indonesian Ministry of Health Maxi Rein Rondonuwu at a press conference for World No Tobacco Day 2023 in Jakarta, Monday, May 29, which was confiscated by Antara.

Of the total regions that already have KTR regulations, as many as 341 regencies/cities or equivalent to 66 percent are in the form of KTR regional regulations (perda) and 259 regencies/cities in the form of regent regulations or mayor regulations (perwal).

"Until now there are still 65 regencies/cities in Indonesia that do not yet have regulations regarding KTR," he said.

The Ministry of Health together with cross-sectors and related institutions, including community organizations, said Maxi, is obliged to stipulate the provisions of the KTR which includes areas of health care facilities, teaching and learning places, children's playgrounds, places of worship, public transportation, workplaces, and other designated public places.

It is hoped that the implementation of KTR will protect the public from exposure to cigarette smoke from its users and increase the level of public health.

According to Maxi, the ratification of KTR regulations in the regions is still not strong enough if it is not accompanied by implementation policies and sanctions that are remembered for each violator.

"In our opinion, this regional regulation or regulation is still not strong enough, because it is only until the formation of the rules, it has not yet reached the implementation," he said.

The Ministry of Health is working on the provisions for sanctions for KTR violators while waiting for the KTR provisions to reach 100 percent in the regions.

"If 100 percent of KTR already exists, while waiting, we will start how to implement the KTR so that it runs at once and there must be an application of sanctions," he said.

World No Tobacco Day is celebrated every May 31. The theme of global activity this year is "We Need Food, Not Tobacco". While the national theme "We Need Food, Not Cigarettes".

Maxi added that the purpose of commemorating activities is to increase public awareness to increase nutritious food rather than cigarette consumption and at the same time as a momentum for tobacco farmers to switch to other plant cultivations that have high nutritional value and selling power.

"By reducing the consumption of tobacco products and prioritizing the consumption of nutritious food, it is a breakthrough in the level of welfare and public health as well as protecting the economy of farmers," he said.