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Women know better, help men quit smoking
In 2007, 80 percent of the 5,319 male residents of kampung Keparakang, Mergangsan, Yogyakarta, were smokers
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n 2007, 80 percent of the 5,319 male residents of kampung Keparakang, Mergangsan, Yogyakarta, were smokers. A year later, the number dropped to 70 percent and by 2009 to less than 65 percent.
Who do we have to thank for this? Women, of course.
The data comes from a survey conducted by members of an anti-smoking group in Keparakan made up of women.
"Information was initially collected from ten households at the Rukun-Tetangga *RT - basic community association* level, and the Rukun-Warga *RW - next highest administrative unit* level," said Rajwan Taufiq, Keparakan's village head, adding it ended up including the whole kampung.
The decreasing number of smokers in Keparakan is the result of a successful war waged on many fronts by brave women, more precisely wives of officials from the family welfare education department (PKK), against cigarette smokers, Rajwan said.
Wives began putting their foot down, tired of having to arrange various activities in the village chief's tiny, stuffy office, always full of smoke. Many of the men and officers who went there liked to puff on cigarettes while discussing matters of family welfare.
Sure enough, after six months of discussions, the citizens of Keparakan came up with a charter, signed by all the chairmen in the RW, totalling 13 people.
The charter declared residents would not smoke in the village head's office, and that every RW should choose two people from the group to conduct an anti-smoking campaign.
As many as 26 members from the newly formed anti-smoking group - recruited from 13 RW - received training at Gadjah Mada University school of medicine.
They received ample literature warning of the dangers of smoking, and were coached about the psychology reasons for cigarette addiction.
After this training, the war against smoking began on separate fronts. The first step was to free the village office environment and public places from cigarette smoke.
"Although the benefits *of people giving up cigarettes* were clearly positive for health and family finances, we couldn't prohibit smoking. All we could do was change people's mindsets," Rajwan said.
Soon enough, smokers were given a shed outside the village head's labelled "SMOKING AREA", a convivial to fill their lungs with nicotine, while sitting on easy chairs.
Alluring prospect, except for the multitude of posters stuck on the walls of the smoking area flashing images of various diseases caused by smoking and diatribes of information on all the toxins contained in cigarettes.
"We thought we had better inform smokers *of the harm they caused themselves and their families*. Now it's rare to see people smoking in smoking areas," Rajwan said.
Once the village head's office became smoke free, an attrition war against cigarettes continued at the heart of each family environment.
Take Andriyani for example; for the sake of her child's health, she forbade her husband from smoking in the house.
After some deliberation - and probably much pillow talk, Andriyani's husband agreed to only smoke on the veranda or when he was travelling. A small concession, but nonetheless a victory.
"Two weeks later my husband stopped smoking," said the mother of two.
Since Andriyani husband gave up smoking, her family has been able to save Rp 17,000 (US$1.7) per day - the equivalent of two packets of cigarettes a day.
"At the weekend, the whole family can now eat out or watch a movie using funds from the previous cigarette budget," she said.
Having rid themselves of cigarette smoke at home, members of the anti-smoking group took their fight to their immediate environment. The members asked their husbands not to smoke at the residents' meetings both at the RT and RW levels, and at other meetings.
Fitri Astuti, a member of the community in 1 RW Keparakan, suggested the women form a united front.
So whenever a meeting was scheduled, dozens of women would come carrying fans, pretending to cough when one of their husbands dared to pull a cigarette out. Wives grumbled, complaining of the dangers of passive smoking.
Chaos ensued. the head of the RW, a heavy smoker, lost his temper and stopped coming to meetings. But the chairman of the RW eventually saw the light, and caved in to the anti-smoking group's demands.
"The situation became uncomfortable but eventually the anti-smoking group's cause was embraced, and cigarettes were no longer permitted at any RT and RW level meetings, and in other kampung meetings," Fitri Astuti said.
The war for people's minds continued, with the anti-smoking group putting up posters reminding people of the dangers of smoking everywhere around the kampungs. Lists of the toxins contained in cigarettes were printed on posters and mounted in public places.
Women also organized events such as the healthy food festival at the end of each year and organized poster contests with an anti-smoking theme.
Not only did resident's wallets become thicker, but people's behaviour also began to change.
"Every cooperation type of activity always included cigarettes. Now when we undertake communal activities without a cigarette budget," said 47-year-old Ning Kuswantoro.
Yuli Kis, 50, who sells food near one of the leading private schools in Yogyakarta, decided to stop selling cigarettes a year ago.
"Selling cigarettes was a lucrative business, but when I realized the dangers of smoking, I no longer wanted to sell cigarettes. It's such pity that when they are still young and, still going to school, children are already consuming poison," Yuli Kis said.
It would seem the psychological warfare succeeded, as even chairman of the RT Slamet Widodo, 53, who at the beginning of the campaign refused to support or sign the Keparakan Charter, has become an active member of the anti-smoking group.
"I used to smoke an average of two packets a day since 1974. So in the past, I was completely against the anti-smoking group," he recalled.
But in 2009, he suffered a stroke due to his heavy consumption of cigarettes, and stopped smoking as a result. Now Slamet is glad he gave up sucking on the slow-killing machines, and willingly became a member of the anti-smoking group.
"The entertainment industry also supports the campaign. For example the Pura Tour, one of the attractions in this kampung, promised not to accept sponsorship from tobacco companies," Rajwan said.
There are now 39 anti-smoking groups of volunteers in Keparakan.
"We are not paid and receive no reward *for our campaigning*. We are often out of pocket. We pay our *operational* costs ourselves," Fitri Astuti said.
A clinic to help people stop smoking and support the improvement of public health was recently opened. Since November 12, 2009, the city government of Yogyakarta has established a special consultation clinic to help people who want to give up smoking.
Those clinics have now spread to 18 community health centers throughout Yogyakarta. Each clinic is staffed with one doctor on stand by.
Dr. Ndaru Rosanbantolo, a doctor in the community health center at Megergangsan, Yogyakarta, said 17 doctors has received specialist training at Gadjah Mada University (UGM) to handle people who wished to give up smoking.
"The training was more focused on understanding the psychological techniques to deal with patients," Ndaru said.
The clinic is open twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays during working hours.
For that 65 percent of people still smoking, the clinic will gladly open every day.
As well as providing consultation services, the community health centers also put up posters about the dangers of smoking, giving them for free to every visitor.
"We are also making a movie about cigarettes and will screen this in the waiting room to remind people of the dangers of cigarettes," Ndaru said.
