Jakarta (ANTARA) - As many as 449 out of the 514 districts/cities in Indonesia already have regulations on non-smoking areas (KTR) in place, according to the Health Ministry.
"We will update this number as of May 2023," Director General of Disease Prevention and Control (P2P) at the ministry Maxi Rein Rondonuwu said at a press conference on World No Tobacco Day 2023 in Jakarta on Monday.
Of the total regions with KTR regulations, at least 341 districts/cities, or the equivalent of 66 percent, have included KTR in the regional regulations and another 259 districts/cities have included KTR in the mayor or district head regulations.
"Until now, there are still 65 districts/cities in Indonesia that do not yet have regulations regarding KTR," he added.
According to Rondonuwu, the ministry is working with cross-sectoral and related institutions, including community organizations, to stipulate KTR provisions that cover the areas of health service facilities, teaching and learning areas, children's playgrounds, places of worship, public transportation, workplaces, and other designated public places.
The application of non-smoking areas is expected to protect people from exposure to cigarette smoke and improve public health, he added.
He said that the ratification of KTR regulations in the regions is still weak without the implementation of policies and sanctions.
"In our opinion, this regional regulation is not strong enough because it has only reached the formation of regulations, not yet implemented," he added.
Therefore, he said that the ministry is working on provisions for sanctions against KTR violators while waiting for the KTR provisions to cover 100 percent of the regions.
"While waiting to reach 100 percent regions to have KTR regulation, we will start to implement it along with the sanctions," he noted.
The World No Tobacco Day is celebrated every May 31, with the theme of global activities this year being “We Need Food, Not Tobacco.”
Rondonuwu informed that the purpose of the activities is to increase public awareness on increasing nutritious food instead of cigarette consumption and, at the same time, serve as a momentum for tobacco farmers to switch to cultivating other crops that have high nutritional value and marketability.
"By reducing the consumption of tobacco products and prioritizing the consumption of nutritious food, this is a breakthrough in the level of public welfare and health and also protects the farmer's economy," he added.
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