Jakarta Will Ban Cigarettes At Night Entertainment Places, Entrepreneurs: Never Mind, Our Business Is About To Die

UNSPLASH ILLUSTRATION

JAKARTA - General Chairperson of the Jakarta Entertainment Entrepreneurs Association (Asphija) Hana Suryani does not agree if the government prohibits the use of cigarettes in nightclubs.

This is in response to the Draft Regional Regulation (Raperda) for Non-Smoking Areas (KTR) which is being prepared by the DPRD and the DKI Provincial Government. Where, it is proposed to prohibit smoking in entertainment venues such as discotheques, bars, and karaoke places.

"In my opinion, in the midst of a situation like this, never mind. The entertainment world doesn't have to do anything too much," Hana told reporters, Wednesday, June 25.

If the government officially bans cigarettes in nightclubs, Hana is worried that more businesses will suffer.

This is because the entertainment tax set by the government is currently very high, which is 40-75 percent. Plus, currently Hana admits that the number of visitors to nightclubs continues to decline.

"This means that our (business) is about to die. It's not sluggish anymore, here. My breath is in the throat. Plus there is this policy, I'm weak, I'm resigned," said Hana.

"I think the entertainment should be tampered with? It's a pity, huh. What's up with the toys?" he continued.

For example, according to Hana, the government can apply a rule that requires the manager of entertainment venues to provide rooms without cigarettes and to smoke separately.

"If you can smoke, it means you have to be accompanied by good technology facilities. For example, exhaust or air purifier. That should be enough," he said.

Now, the DKI Jakarta DPRD and the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government are finalizing the draft Raperda KTR. There are 8 chapters consisting of 26 articles in the draft regulation.

Some of the provisions include the area without smoking, including health care facilities, places for the teaching and learning process, places for children to play, places of worship, public transportation, workplaces, public places, integrated public spaces, and certain places that hold crowd permits.

Then, the types of public places referred to in Article 14, ranging from modern markets, traditional markets, hotels or inns, apartments/rusun, restaurants or restaurants, recreation areas or entertainment venues, bus stops, terminals/stations/labors/airports, meeting halls, and other public places.

The DPRD also had proposed more detailed provisions in the KTR Raperda. The Democratic-Perindo faction of the DKI Jakarta DPRD proposed a minimum distance limit for consumption, sales, and promotion of cigarettes from sensitive facilities in Jakarta such as hospitals and schools.

"Article 1 states that an area without cigarettes is a place or room or area that is declared prohibited from smoking, producing, selling, advertising, and/or promoting cigarettes," said Member of the Democratic Party faction of the DKI Jakarta DPRD Andika Wisnuadji Putra Soebroto.

At least, according to the Democrat-Perindo faction, there must be a clearer definition of the area without smoking in the KTR Raperda.

The definition referred to by the Democrat-Perindo faction is the provision of a minimum distance of 200 meters for non-smoking areas from sensitive facilities in Jakarta.

"We are of the view that this definition needs to be equipped by setting specific radii, for example: 200 meters from sensitive facilities such as schools, children's playgrounds and places of worship, hospitals," he said.

The Gerindra faction of the DKI Jakarta DPRD proposed the inauguration of the phrase "public place" which is included in a non-smoking area in Article 4 letter h and Article 14 of the Raperda for Non-Smoking Areas. Gerindra asked that nightclubs be included in the provisions of a no-smoking area.

"In Article 4 letter h, it is stated that public places are part of the Non-Smoking Area (KTR), and in Article 14 which clarifies the types of public places, it is necessary to add locations/areas, namely at night entertainment venues such as karaoke, nightclubs, live music cafes, because one of the causes of fires at night entertainment venues is cigarette butts," explained Gerindra faction member Ali Lubis.