Child protection body urges govt to ban tobacco ads

The National Commission for Children's Protection (Komnas PA) urges the central and regional government to ban smoking advertisements, in accordance with the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) recommendation.

"We therefore urge the government to immediately issue a regulation that ban all cigarette advertisements, promotions and event-sponsorships as concrete measure to protect children against the danger of smoking," commission chairman Seto Mulyadi said Tuesday, as quoted by Antara.

The MUI issued on Sunday several edicts including the one banning children and pregnant women from smoking. Smoking in public places is also haram (forbidden in Islam).

The commission, Seto added, had welcomed the recently issued religious edict banning cigarette smoking for pregnant women and children, and when in public areas.

"The presence of a fatwa that rules against smoking, even if its coverage is still limited to *above* three categories, is still a sociological progress and moral justification."

The fatwa, he added, prevents the advent of new smokers: "namely children who have become targets of the aggressive tobacco industry that hinges on smoking advertisements that were deemed legal."

Seto argued that the fatwa had highlighted the importance of protection against the dangers of tobacco smoking, which affects health, causes death and a poverty hazard.

"The fatwa also protects children from *the fact that the government implements* minimum tax on tobacco, minimally sets tobacco-free zones and public apathy towards tobacco smoking and smoke," he said.