North Sumatra MUI: Smoking, Behavior Brings Damage To Self And Others

MEDAN - The Indonesian Ulema Council of North Sumatra stated that smoking is a behavior that causes damage to oneself and to others who are affected by cigarette smoke that harms society.

"One of the goals of the Islamic Shari'ah is 'hifzhun nafs', namely self-preservation," said Chairman of the North Sumatran Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) for Da'wah, Prof. Dr. Mohd Hatta in Medan, quoted by Antara, Monday, May 31.

He explained that many of the arguments contained in the Qur'an and Hadith ordered a healthy life and forbade unhealthy behavior and could harm the community.

All efforts are made to encourage cultural efforts to stop smoking as well as those carried out with the Healthy Living Movement (GERMAS) program.

In addition, it is necessary to support other more useful efforts such as a smoking ban for school registration, for all types of work, fines for smokers in public areas and others.

"Of course all these efforts require a strong legal umbrella and are consistently supported by the government," said Hatta, who is also the former chairman of the Medan City MUI.

Quoted from the Ministry of Health website, with the COVID-19 pandemic, smoking increases the risk and vulnerability of contracting COVID-19.

Smoking is a risk factor for non-communicable diseases (diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, cancer) which is a comorbid COVID-19. People are vulnerable to severe COVID-19 if they have these diseases.

The development of human resources in Indonesia makes children and adolescents the focus of developing a healthy generation, one of which is by creating a young generation free from smoking and COVID-19.

The government is currently working to strengthen tobacco control policies which include a comprehensive ban on cigarette advertising, promotion and sponsorship.

Efforts to control the problem of smoking and COVID-19 will have a positive impact on public health as a pillar of human resource development for the formation of the Indonesian Superior Healthy Generation.