Deputy Minister Of Health Said That Smokers Were 1.9 Times More Severe If They Got COVID-19

JAKARTA - Deputy Health Minister Dante Saksono Harbuwono said that active smokers have up to 1.9 times the severity of illness when exposed to SARS-CoV-2 which causes COVID-19.

"In the COVID-19 pandemic situation, smoking has a significant impact, one meta-study. The analysis showed an increase in severity of 1.9 times in the COVID-19 study who were also smokers, "said Dante, in a webinar on the Launch and Discussion of Policy Recommendations held by the National Commission on Tobacco Control, as reported by Antara, Tuesday, April 26.

Based on the recent data report it is shown that the prevalence of smoking in Indonesia is still high, namely 33.8 percent. In absolute terms, it means that around 65.7 million people in Indonesia smoke, said Dante.

This data shows that Indonesia is in the third-largest number of smokers in the last 10 years, after India and China.

"Moreover in the age group 10-18 years old, the total of the teenager, either conventionally or electronically, mutually improving," he said.

Various studies have shown the direct impact of smoking on health, especially the health sector. In Indonesia, there is a potential for an increase in the prevalence or number of people with non-communicable diseases, such as stroke, diabetes, heart disease, and lung cancer which are all closely correlated with smoking behavior.

Dante said the situation was caused because the lung's capacity to accommodate air and function normally had been disrupted.

Dante added, Indonesia would face a demographic bonus period, so it is very important for the community to maintain the quality of human resources so that stay productive. "This means that our young people must be protected from behaviors that have a bad impact, such as smoking," he said.

The National Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMN), said Dante, mandates the government to reduce the percentage of smoking at the age of 10-18 years, from 9.1 percent to 8.7 percent in 2024. To achieve this target, he said, the Ministry of Health together with various sectors engaged in various fields of tobacco control are leading to the global strategy outlined by the World Health Organization (WHO).

"The strategies we need to do are strengthening regulations, implementing smoking-free areas, controlling cigarette sales, eliminating advertisements and promotions, continuing education, and increasing warnings," he said.

The Ministry of Health has a significant pattern in regulatory efforts so that it needs to be more intensive in overseeing the revision of Presidential Decree No. 109/2012 which regulates safety materials containing addictive substances in the form of tobacco products for health.

"We appreciate the support from the public who cares about tobacco control who support this effort. We are committed to creating a revision of Presidential Decree No. 109/2012 to protect children and adolescents from the dangers of smoking, and reduce the prevalence of smoking and also support interventions in handling COVID-19," he said.