Tangerang municipality to ban smoking

In an attempt to curb the number of young smokers and protect non-smokers, the Tangerang municipality has drafted a bylaw which prohibits smoking in public places.

Mayor Wahidin Halim said Saturday the draft had been submitted to the municipal legislative council, along with seven other new draft ordinances.

The mayor said his administration had conducted an opinion survey before drawing up the draft bylaw, which threatens to impose three months of jail term or Rp 50 million (US$5,490) in fine on offenders.

Previously, the municipal government had banned smoking in schools, which affect not only students but also teachers and school administration staff.

Smoking has also been banned across the municipal administration building on Jl. Satria Sudirman and other local government offices in 13 districts across the city since January.

When the new bylaw takes effect, all public facilities, including hospitals, public health centers, public buses, bus terminals and shopping malls, will be declared smoking-free zones.

A survey conducted recently by the Tangerang Journalists Working Group (Pokja Wartawan Tangerang) found that smokers accounted for two thirds of the city’s population of 1.5 million.