Bogor City Government-PHRI Agree To Campaign No Smoking In Restaurants: This Is An Effort To Protect Citizens, Especially Children

Photo: Doc. Antara

JAKARTA - The Bogor City Government, West Java, together with the local Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI) have agreed to campaign for no smoking in restaurants.

"This is one of the efforts to increase and participate in controlling the dangers of smoking, to create a healthy Bogor City, and to protect the citizens of Bogor City, especially children from the dangers of smoking, in addition to preventing the emergence of novice smokers," said Head of the Bogor City Health Office Sri Nowo Retno in the city. Bogor, quoted from Antara, Wednesday, June 1.

Not smoking in restaurants is an application of Bogor City Regional Regulation (Perda) Number 10 of 2018 which is an Amendment to Regional Regulation Number 12 of 2009 concerning Non-Smoking Areas (KTR).

The agreement was stated in a memorandum of understanding between the Bogor City Government and PHRI signed by the Mayor of Bogor, Bima Arya Sugiarto, with the Chair of the Bogor City PHRI, Yuno Abeta Lahay, at the City Square, Tuesday, as support for the launch of the NongkrongSehatBogor.com website.

Nowo Retno conveyed that through various surveys, the Bogor City Health Office found strong support from the people of Bogor City for the Perda KTR, and even found a decrease in the number of smokers in the KTR area. However, people still find many people smoking in restaurants and eating places.

The NongkrongSehatBogor.com site is a directory containing a list of smoke-free restaurants that are expected to help tourists who are looking for culinary tourism locations, including restaurants, cafes, and places to eat in a healthy environment in Bogor City.

Based on the results of periodic monitoring carried out by the Bogor City Health Office, 77 percent of the community still finds smokers in eating places or restaurants.

The commitment and collaboration between the City Government and PHRI, said Retno, is expected not only to increase the level of KTR compliance in restaurants and eating places, but also in the long term to help reduce the prevalence of smokers in Bogor City, which is still more than 44.5 percent or around 446,325 people.

The concept of Smoke-Free Picnic or Picnic Without Smoking in the HTTS commemoration using the Bogor City Square is expected to be a picnic place for families that is safe from the dangers of smoking.

Retno conveyed that the theme carried in HTTS 2022 was tobacco as a threat to the environment. In addition to a threat to health, cigarette butts containing hazardous substances if not managed properly will pollute the environment and electrical waste will produce B3 waste.

Specifically for the Regional Regulation on KTR Number 10 of 2018 which is owned by the City of Bogor, said Kadinkes, it is always monitored and evaluated every year.

Based on the results of monitoring in 2021, the lowest of the 9 areas is public places, of the 77 percent target, only 74.4 percent was achieved, where restaurants and cafes are included. Of the 200 that were monitored, only 49 restaurants or cafes (24.5 percent) actually implemented the Perda KTR.

The chairman of the Bogor City PHRI, Yuno Abeta Lahay, added that in the last two years the health element has become the most important of the three key elements of tourism, namely comfort and cleanliness.

This is inseparable from the concentration of tourists who attend hotels and restaurants which increase their concern for health.

"Participating in PHRI Bogor City in obeying and supporting the Perda KTR Bogor City as the right start that will improve the quality and service to guests. Fear of disruption to the restaurant and cafe business is not true," said Yuno.

According to him, PHRI will encourage its members to provide an area or place according to the rules for smokers so that it does not disturb and does not cause concern for visitors.

He appreciated the existence of a smoke-free restaurant directory. This is the Bogor City Government's firmness in enforcing the KTR Regional Regulation. This Memorandum of Understanding is a shared commitment and a big step that is believed to be beneficial for all parties, including restaurant entrepreneurs.

"Especially with NongkrongSehatBogor.com, which not only helps monitor the implementation of KTR, but also as a means of promotion for Bogor restaurants and tourism," said Yuno.