Tangerang municipality to issue smoking ban

In an attempt to dissuade young people from smoking and protect non-smokers from second-hand smoke, the Tangerang municipality will issue a bylaw prohibiting smoking in public places in the near future.

“The draft of the bylaw on the smoking ban has been proposed to the municipal legislative council along with seven other new bylaws,” Tangerang Mayor Wahidin Halim told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.
Wahidin said his administration had collected data to gauge the public opinion about whether smoking should be allowed in public.

The mayor outlawed smoking at schools long before this latest draft was announced.

In January, a similar regulation was enacted banning smoking in all of the city administration offices in the city’s 13 districts.

“I frequently see school students smoking in public places and even in school yards,” Wahidin said.

He said a survey conducted by the administration showed that the majority of people in the city were in favor of smoking in public places.

Wahidin said the new draft would ban smoking in schools, hospitals, public health centers, public buses, bus terminals, all administration offices, and air-conditioned areas, such as shopping malls and elevators.

Violators would face a maximum penalty of three months in prison or a Rp 50 million fine.

City administration spokesman Mayoris Namaga said smoking areas would be built in all administration buildings in time for the new law.

Herry Rumawatine, the city legislative council speaker, said all factions at the council would likely comply with the ban.

“We have been discussing the bylaw on the smoking ban. No faction has expressed any objection so far,” he said.