The Government Is Considered To Be Able To Imitate The Netherlands In Reducing Smokers Through Alternative Tobacco Products

UNSPLASH/Sajjad Zabihi ILLUSRATION

JAKARTA - The Indonesian government is asked to imitate European countries to reduce the number of adult smokers. One of them is the Netherlands which has a special clinic for those who are addicted.

"They have a clinic to deal with addiction, one of which is for cigarettes. So there is indeed a special smoking assessment clinic that is programmed to use alternative products (shots, ed)," said Jakarta State Islamic University Medical Faculty lecturer Laifa Annisa, Wednesday, May 24.

Meanwhile, a lecturer at the Faculty of Dental Medicine, Padjadjaran University, Bandung, Amaliya agrees that vaping as an alternative tobacco product is safer from conventional cigarettes. The reason is that tar components or residuals from burning that are dangerous for the body are not found.

"What is found in tobacco products is heated and vaping is just heating up, there is no smoke. Cigarettes that are burned will certainly emit more toxicity and cause cancer (carcinogen)," he said.

Although considered safer, it turns out that the use of alternative tobacco products has hampered. The reason is, in the Draft Law (RUU) on the Health Omnibus, it is said that alternative tobacco products have similarities with narcotics.

This was then opposed by DPR member Yahya Zaini who considered the name inappropriate. "Indeed, the arrangements must be different because the risk is smaller," he said.

"Indeed, the bill states that including the products derived from tobacco are e-cigarettes categorized as dangerous materials. Later we will separate them in more detail," concluded Yahya.