They are facts. What is not always recognized is the slow and agonizing death that ailing smokers go through and then the agony of the family for years after the death of their "breadwinner".

I have seen this first hand. A few years ago I met with villagers in Kalimantan who were seeking help to give up smoking. When I suggested enlisting the village doctor in a quit smoking program they simply pointed out that the doctor also smoked and even used the ambulance to transport cigarettes from the city for his friends to sell.

These men wanted to give up smoking for health and religious reasons but they felt abandoned by their leaders. What hope is there when even those responsible for health do not fulfill their duty?

It is time, therefore, to put the obvious question to the health minister: what are you going to do to save 500,000 Indonesian citizens/voters from death by tobacco addiction?

How many hospital beds are filled with patients with tobacco-related diseases? And the same question might be addressed to all politicians and religious leaders.

Or are they all happy to receive those incentive payments and gratis cigarettes to turn a blind eye to the plight of the health of their fellow citizens?

After all, that is what the tobacco companies want so they can maintain huge profits, much of which is paid in dividends to parent companies in the US; especially now they are faced with US$246 billion fine for hiding the health impacts of smoking from the public!

Nairdah
Sydney

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