Indonesia has been told to catch up with other Southeast Asian countries and ban cigarette advertising because it encourages younger people to smoke.
Mary Assunta of the Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) said here Monday the republic had been left behind in its efforts to curb the growth of smokers in the region.
She said Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam had totally banned cigarette advertising, promotion and sponsorship.
Malaysia, the Philippines and Laos had banned all advertising, but Indonesia seemed to be in a status quo with its partial advertising ban, Mary said.
"Even a small country like Cambodia is now waiting for the approval of the draft of a law banning cigarette ads, but what of Indonesia?"
Mary was speaking at a workshop focused on protecting children from the impacts of cigarette advertising.
"Indonesia has been somewhat of a trash bin for the cigarette industry.
"Ads that have been banned in other countries are still allowed here and people see them as something common."
She said partial bans would not work and suggested a total ban.
"According to my experience in Malaysia and many other countries, the cigarette industry can always find attractive ways (to market their products) with partial bans.
"We can never catch up with them.
"We need a complete ban."
Mary said such measures had been proven effective in reducing the number of smokers in Thailand from 30 percent of adults in 1981 to 20 percent in 2004.
Indonesia is one of a few countries worldwide yet to ratify the World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), which rules a comprehensive ban on cigarette advertising, promotion and sponsorship.
A total of 151 countries have ratified the convention.
A health ministry official, who asked not to be named, told The Jakarta Post on the sidelines of the workshop the ministry had prepared the draft for the FCTC ratification three years ago.
But the deliberation had always met a deadlock at the inter-ministry level, with the Industry Ministry, the Manpower and Transmigration Ministry, the Agriculture Ministry and the Finance Ministry among those impeding the ratification plan.
"They argued that ratifying the FCTC could cause the state financial losses of around Rp 40 trillion (US$4.3 billion) from taxes per year to the state, and would affect some 10 million people earning money from the tobacco industry," he said.
State Minister for Women Empowerment Meutia Farida Hatta, who opened the workshop, said the government was lacking regulations on cigarettes, with only the 2003 government regulation ruling on the industry.
The regulation allows television stations to air cigarette advertisements between 9:30 p.m. and 5 a.m. and rules out pictures and words citing cigarettes, packs, or people smoking.
Dina Kania with the National Commission for Child Protection said the cigarette industry had been creatively selling "images and lifestyles, instead of products" to cope with the ruling.
She said many cigarette companies had been trying to link the brands of their products with youth lifestyles, with slogans such as Enjoy Aja! (just enjoy it!), Ekspresikan Aksimu! (express your action!), My Life My Adventure and U Are U! displayed on television and outdoor media.
The commission's secretary general Arist Merdeka Sirait said cigarette firms intentionally targeted teenagers as their market segment, with sponsorship in a large number of youth events, particularly sport competitions and music concerts. (wda)
