Thousands stage anti-tobacco rally

JAKARTA: Jakarta governor Fauzi Bowo joined thousands of students in an anti-tobacco rally in Jakarta on Sunday.

The students, coming from various high schools in Jakarta, began their rally from the National Monument Park in Central Jakarta. They then marched to the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle and back to the National Monument.

"This event is in line with the government's program to reduce air pollution, and the bad habit of smoking contributes largely to the air pollution," Fauzi told the rally, as reported by Kompas.com.

Citing a global survey, Fauzi Bowo said that 46.7 percent of youth once tried smoking. Nine percent of youth had access to smoking since 10 years old, and 20 percent of them became active smokers.

The rally was also marked by an anti-tobacco music concert by local group The Titans.

A similar rally was staged by dozens of activists, mostly women, in Surabaya, East Java, on Sunday.

The activists paraded at Bungkul park on Jl. Raya Darmo, Surabaya's main thoroughfare, bringing along with them a giant cigarette stick. -JP