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Bone-bone, the smoke-free village
Health campaign: A billboard featuring an antismoking message stands on roadside in Bone-bone village, South Sulawesi
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Health campaign: A billboard featuring an antismoking message stands on roadside in Bone-bone village, South Sulawesi.(JP/Andi Hajramurni) (JP/Andi Hajramurni)
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span class="inline inline-center">Health campaign: A billboard featuring an antismoking message stands on roadside in Bone-bone village, South Sulawesi.(JP/Andi Hajramurni)
In a country where about one-third of the people smoke, Bone-bone village in Enrekang regency, South Sulawesi, took a firm stance against the harmful habit a long time back.
When several regions only recently declared no-smoking zones or issued regulations on smoke-free areas, the village took the bold step of banning smoking both for residents and visitors in 2000.
Indonesia ranks among the world's top five countries with the most smokers. As many as 61.4 million Indonesians, representing 36.1 percent of its population, use tobacco by smoking and/or in smokeless forms, according to the 2011 Global Adult Tobacco Survey.
Two-thirds, 67.4 percent, of males over 15 years old smoke, making Indonesia the country with the world's highest smoking prevalence among males.
In 2000 when Bone-bone was still a hamlet, the first step was taken by Muhammad Idris.
When elected to be the hamlet's leader in 1996, Idris noticed the prevailing smoking habit, mainly among male residents, from young people to adults. Cigarettes were even distributed alongside food during family parties.
The Alauddin State Islamic Institute graduate concluded that smoking was responsible for the hamlet's poverty as it used up people's incomes and hampered educational progress while worsening people's health.
Idris invited the hamlet's eight community figures to support his smoke-free policy by banning cigarette sales as an initial step. The move met with opposition from cigarette sellers and it took two years for the ban to be fully active.
'In 2003, we started prohibiting the distribution of cigarettes at parties or festivities, followed by a total ban on smoking in the following years. Those wishing to smoke must do it outside this hamlet,' said Idris, who ended his term in 2014.
In making the ban a success, he even involved children to watch for those who continued to smoke in secret, in return for prizes.
Warnings against smoking were also placed in all corners of the hamlet ' home to 136 families of 797 people ' while verbal warnings were announced over loudspeakers at mosques.
Any breach of the rule carried social sanctions, from cleaning public facilities to making public apologies through loudspeakers.
Gradually, the hamlet's residents abandoned their smoking habits, with no more smokers found in 2006.
Over the 15 years since the ban was imposed, the rule has taken root within the village, which is located some 300 kilometers north of the provincial capital Makassar.
'The air here is very fresh. That is why I like to stay here longer,' said Dewi, a visiting Makassar resident.
Giving up smoking also enhances the stamina of the village's residents, who are mostly farmers who have to walk a long distance to reach their plantations.
Amir, a 45-year-old farmer and blacksmith, said when he was still smoking, he easily got tired and had to rest on his way to the plantation.
Amir started smoking as a teenager, finishing two packs in a day. When smoking was banned he kicked the habit and he considers the ban a realistic move to promote better health and improve the economy. 'Without smoking, I can save money and meet my family's needs, especially for my children's education.'
The village's guests obey the ban as well.
'Whenever I want to smoke, I have to leave the village,' said 42-year-old Marten, a construction supervisor.
Today, Bone-bone, which got village status in 2008, does not only ban smoking, but also the entry and sale of snacks using synthetic materials and flavorings as well as drinks with coloring.
Tree felling has also been prohibited to make sure the village is protected from floods and landslides. Couples planning to get married are also required to plant at least five trees each.
Unlike in the past when smoking was rampant, smoking-related diseases are now rare.
The village's economy has improved and it has no more school dropouts. About 80 of the village's youngsters are currently studying at various universities, including 30 on Java.
Half of Bone-bone's access roads have been asphalted and electricity has reached the village since 2009, while nearly all of the village's residents now own decent wooden stilt houses ' thanks to the increasing production of paddy, coffee and cacao.
Because of its success story, Bone-bone has become a laboratory for local and foreign researchers, like from Australia, Germany, Japan and France, who want to study the village's way of implementing the no-smoking policy. The village has also received awards, including from the Health Ministry and the World Health Organization.
Bone-bone village head Abdul Wahid said the no-smoking ban remained effective until today. 'The smoke-free policy has considerably changed this village, improving people's lives and boosting development. We'll always uphold this rule,' he said.
