As a speaker in a seminar titled "Women and Cigarettes: An Emancipation or Powerlessness" which was held on April 21 at the university's Convention Hall in Depok, West Java, Muhammad Anis said society was facing several dilemmas in dealing with the issue.

He said cigarette companies had enough money to give scholarships, sponsor sports competition and provide jobs. Nevertheless, smoking has dire impacts on health, especially on women, that include cancer, heart attacks and infertility.

"The fatwa that stating cigarette is haram is not effective. What we should do is hold campaigns on the dangers of smoking and second-hand smoke," he told the seminar.

The seminar was organized by the university to observe women educator Kartini's Day and the launch of the antismoking movement on campus for the year 2012. It was also held in conjunction with the World No Tobacco Day on May 31. This year's theme was to empower and protect women from tobacco marketing and smoke.

Former catwalk model Okky Asokawati said she started smoking just to get by. "As time went by, the way I looked at myself changed. Therefore, I quit smoking. I also wanted to have healthy children," she said.

She said her decision to start smoking showed she was powerless to say no, but said others looked on it as a sign of emancipation because it could help them concentrate or get inspiration.

Whatever the reason, said physician Ahmad Hudoyo, smoking is dangerous for women. "But women could help reduce the number of smokers. In Yogyakarta, data shows that the number of smokers decreased from 80 percent in 2007 to 65 percent in 2009."

Economist Sri Moertiningsih Adioetomo said most smokers are from the low-income bracket. According to her research, six out of 10 Indonesian people smoke and four out of 10 smokers come from low-income families. She found that smokers spend an average of Rp 113,000 (US$12) per month to buy cigarettes. She suggested a cigarette tax increase of 57 percent to discourage smokers.

Her research corroborated that of Rita Damayanti, the last speaker at the seminar. Rita said research in Sukabumi, West Java, found that a large amount of the daily expenses of the respondents went on purchasing cigarettes. She said most poor people smoke and become a burden on the government, which has to pay for their medication when they fall ill from their smoking habit.

"We must empower women in order to have a healthy and prosperous nation," she said.

One participant suggested that since smoking could cause infertility and newborn death it could be used as population control.

"Population control should be done from a humanist perspective . We can't let babies die because of their parents' smoking habits. We're not only fighting against smokers, but protecting those affected by second-hand smoke," Muhammad Anis said.

Prita studied archaeology and recently graduated from the University of Indonesia. She is currently working in the university's Communications Office

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