In the face of danger: A man smokes while observing poster, explaining the danger of tobacco to human health. JP/Ricky Yudhistira
Jan. 19, p. 8
US President Barack Obama used to smoke for years. He never said that smoking is good or that quitting is easy. He has made clear that quitting is a struggle. Tobacco kills more than 500,000 Indonesians every year.
But some legislators still conclude that even to debate signing the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) is “not urgent”. They are risking 225 million Indonesian citizens due to primary, secondary and third-party chain-smokers.
People who choose not to smoke are still at risk of getting sick because of the smoke from people smoking nearby. It’s estimated that more than 62 percent of Indonesian citizens smoke, including children. It is easier to find cigarettes than clean public toilets or a library in this country. After 64 years after independence, our nation is still unable to stop DVD piracy. How can the government dare stop tobacco industries from expanding their production, as tobacco companies are highly productive taxpayers, up to 9 percent of our national gross income.
In 1995, cigarette production was approximately 199.5 billion cigarettes; 10 years later in 2005, 235.5 billion. The prevalence of teen and child smokers had increased by 139.4 percent (1995-2004).
Tobacco kills more people per annum than the total number of victims of HIV, fire and car accidents. In Indonesia, a pack of cigarettes may cost US$ 1, but consider its neighboring country Singapore, $7 per pack. In
Indonesia, there are no regulations governing the age and the purchase of tobacco. (By Henri Lois, Jakarta)
Your comments:
People who smoke may lack love or were not breastfeed for long enough. Smokers are generous, however, because they contribute to the tax revenues of our government. However, the numbers of young smokers is growing tremendously every year.
In Jakarta, more than 60 percent of the citizens are smokers. You don’t need to be a professor to realize this fact; wherever you go, you always meet smokers in Jakarta. They are on the bus, in the malls, streets and even in cemeteries.
There are only two ways to stop smoking: Stop smoking for those you love, or as most do, stop because you are sick and die.
Laurentius
Jakarta
Smokers are losers! That’s what I believe. If a man really loves his wife and children, then he must struggle to stop smoking. It’s not about money, but it’s about quality of life and companionship.
Think about your child’s future.
They need to grow up with their father beside them. They need their father to see them graduate from university some day.
They need their father to stop smoking so that they can proudly say to their friends: “My father is tough! He stopped smoking for my future!”
Zefanya
Jakarta
Tobacco has been in this world for more than a century. In 1970, people started to realize that tobacco was harmful. Tobacco can lower sperm quality, block arteries and shorten life spans. Tobacco advertisements on television must be banned because that is the most powerful strategy influencing teenagers and children to smoke.
Imelda
Jakarta
I used to think that smoking was cool. It warmed up your body and made you relax. Then I learned from Singapore that a tobacco addiction was the same as marijuana and cocaine. Once you were hooked, only death and serious illness would make you quit.
Our government doesn’t care about its people as long as they receive the tax revenue from tobacco companies. It’s a huge amount. The best way to stop smoking is by looking at it from both sides and thinking about the people you love most. Will you let them suffer from cancer by inhaling your toxic nicotine?
Given
Jakarta
Tobacco helps the government to provide more employment opportunities for rural areas. There are many career opportunities available in the tobacco companies, such as a quality control tester who is responsible for smoking three to five packs of cigarettes every day in order to maintain the quality of their product.
These testers usually end up dying from lung cancer or are unable to satisfy their wives in bed due to impotency. However, they make a lot of money.
The best strategy for us to prevent smoking is by limiting the time our children watch television at home. It works, trust me!
Geradus Sam
Jakarta
Dear Lois, It is almost impossible to protect our children today from the massive campaigns from a cigarette company. They have the power and money to influence our lovely government.
Tobacco addiction is happening in Indonesia, for more than 67 percent of Indonesians today are smokers. The worst-case scenario is there will be more people suffering from cancer, heart attacks, impotency and premature deliveries.
Let us spend more quality time with our children so they will grow up as nonsmoking adults.
Julius
Manokwari, Papua
President Obama is trying his best to stop smoking today. Our government has no option though, because tobacco industries open up employment opportunities for many poor Indonesian citizens.
Tobacco companies will exist forever in Indonesia because the majority of our citizens are already addicted. It will take enormous efforts to heal the addicted smokers. This will include nicotine patches, counseling and so forth. The best thing we can do now is educate our children so they will not start smoking.
Elfia
Jakarta
