Not Only Tobacco, DKI DPRD Proposes Raperda For Non-Smoking Areas Also Bans Vapes In Public Spaces

JAKARTA - The DKI Provincial Government and the DKI Jakarta DPRD plan to ratify the Provision of Regional Regulations (Raperda) regarding Non-Smoking Areas (KTR) this year.

The DKI DPRD has formed a special committee (pansus) that will explore the provisions in the KTR draft before being prepared in the draft Raperda.

Member of the Special Committee for the Raperda of the DKI Jakarta DPRD KTR Ali Lubis said that his party proposed that the Raperda KTR not only regulate the prohibition of the use of tobacco cigarettes in public spaces, but also e-cigarettes such as vape.

"In this Special Committee for Non-Smoking Area, there have been several proposals, including regional regulation against the prohibition of the use of vapes and e-cigarettes such as tobacco cigarettes," Ali said in his statement, Wednesday, May 7.

Currently, the rules regarding the prohibition of smoking in public spaces are included in Governor Regulation Number 40 of 2020 concerning Amendments to Governor Regulation Number 50 of 2012 concerning Guidelines for the Implementation of the Implementation of Development, Supervision, and Law Enforcement of Prohibited Smoking Areas.

This governor's regulation, according to Ali, only regulates the ban on the use of tobacco cigarettes in public spaces. Meanwhile, currently the use of electric cigarettes in Jakarta is quite massive.

In fact, e-cigarettes also have the same negative impact as tobacco cigarettes in terms of health and disturb people's freedom to avoid cigarette smoke.

"Obviously this can be seen that discrimination or different treatment of tobacco cigarette users, where only tobacco cigarettes are temporarily prohibited against vapes and e-cigarettes are not regulated," said Ali.

"So, the regulation of the area for the use of vaping and e-cigarettes must be strictly regulated in regional regulations," he added.

In addition, Ali continued, it is also necessary to apply sanctions in the KTR Raperda against non-smoking violators in public spaces such as fines to criminal sanctions.

For information, Pergub Number 40 of 2020 has regulated smoking bans in a number of public areas, including: 1. Public places: areas open to the public such as parks, fields, and roads. Workplace: Office, factory, and other business premises.

2. Teaching and learning places: school, campus, and course venues.

3. Health care centers: hospitals, health centers, and clinics.

4. Public transportation: buses, trains, and airplanes.

5. Children's activity arenas: playgrounds, swimming pools, and children's recreation areas.

6. Places of worship: mosques, churches, temples, and other places of worship.