Ministry Of Health Announces 5 Million People Have Quit Smoking

Deputy Minister of Health Dante Saksono Harbuwono (Screenshot via ANTARA)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Health has declared as many as 5 million people to quit smoking through a series of work programs echoed in the commemoration of the World Tobacco Heart 2021.

"This year we invite all levels of society to support the smoking cessation movement with a target of 5 million people quitting smoking regardless of the type", said Deputy Health Minister Dante Saksono Harbuwono, quoted by Antara, Monday, May 31.

World Tobacco Day is celebrated every May 31 with the theme "Dare to Quit Smoking" regardless of type, both conventional and more modern cigarettes.

According to Dante, the theme is relevant in Indonesia, which has a correlation with the increasing consumption of smoking among children and adolescents.

The prevalence of smokers in the 10-18 year age group, said Dante, increased by 7.2 percent in 2013 to 9.1 in 2018.

"Indonesia is one of the countries in the world that has a very high rate of active smoking, male smokers in Indonesia are the third highest in the world after India and China", he said.

Based on basic health research (Riskesdas) by the Ministry of Health, data on electronic smokers increased dramatically from 1.2 percent in 2016 to 10.9 percent in 2018.

"This figure makes us concerned because cigarettes in Indonesia are one of the most active compared to other countries", continued Dante.

In addition, economic losses due to cigarettes based on data from 152 countries in 2018 show that every year the total economic activity or health expenditure and productivity losses amounted to 1.436 billion dollars or IDR 20.638 trillion.

"Equivalent to 1.8 percent of the world's annual GNP", he said.

Dante said Indonesia ranks third in the world in terms of cigarette consumption and losses due to tobacco are quite large, namely 4.9 million cases of the disease, 200 thousand more deaths related to tobacco from a survey conducted in 2017.

So that if 5 million smokers quit their habit, said Dante, it could save state funding and save various sources of disease caused by smoking, as well as save people around them.

Dante said the smoking cessation campaign was also in line with Presidential Instruction Number 1 of 2017 concerning the Healthy Living Community Movement (Germas) in order to accelerate and synergize promotive and preventive actions and efforts for healthy living.

The government implements a strategy to control cigarette products and other products in a comprehensive, collaborative manner, emphasizing the younger generation as an investment in the nation's future.

Dante hopes that the illustrated health warnings on cigarette packaging, expansion of smoke-free areas, prohibition of advertising, promotion and sponsorship, health campaigns and education, increasing cigarette price excise, and efforts to stop smoking are carried out with the community consistently.