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National scene: Govt seeks Bloomberg's help against tobacco
Health Minister Nila Moeloek has met business magnate Michael Bloomberg to seek support for tobacco control in the country
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ealth Minister Nila Moeloek has met business magnate Michael Bloomberg to seek support for tobacco control in the country.
The Health Ministry said that Nila had met the tycoon on Sept. 22 at the UN General Assembly in New York.
'They discussed tobacco control programs in Indonesia,' ministry spokesperson Murti Utami said on Thursday, as quoted by tempo.co.
Bloomberg, Murti said, had praised the government's efforts to curb tobacco consumption, including by establishing smoke-free zones in 160 regions.
Bloomberg previously supported the ministry's research and development agency by collecting data for the Global Adult Tobacco Surveillance 2011. 'The [global study] will be held again in 2016,' Murti said, adding that the surveillance program had previously been carried out in 2007, 2010 and 2014.
Nila admitted that Indonesia had yet to ratify the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, but insisted there were existing regulations aimed at limiting tobacco consumption. She emphasized the importance of behavioral change in the struggle against smoking.
'Changing habits and campaigning for public awareness will be the focus of the tobacco control programs,' Nila said after the meeting with Bloomberg.
The government's current efforts to curb smoking include raising cigarette duties.
