Growing number of school students smoking

A survey has found about 13 percent of first-time smokers in the country are junior high school students.

Muhammad Syahril Mansyur, from the Surakarta Health Agency’s respiratory illness division, said Thursday the finding showed an alarming growth rate of Indonesian smokers.

The agency conducted the survey in five major cities across the country, including Surakarta in Central Java.

"This situation is a cause for concern,” he said. “It appears the country’s younger generation is uneducated about the health risks of smoking.”

The survey also revealed 89 percent of young female employees were smokers in the five cities.

The Indonesian anti-tobacco campaign has reportedly been deemed as ineffective as the government refuses to sign the international convention on tobacco control. It said cigarette producers contributed to a large amount to state revenue and thousands of workers relied on the industry.