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Child Protection Law revision needed to curb young smokers: Ministry
Success in protecting children from exposure to smoking, however, will depend on the authorities' political will, critics say.
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Say no to tobacco: Antitobacco activists demonstrate on Jl. MH Thamrin in Central Jakarta on Feb. 15, 2015. (JP/P.J. Leo)
T
he Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Ministry is looking into proposing a revision in the Child Protection Law to include smoking prevention as the number of young Indonesian smokers is at a record high.
The 2018 Basic Health Survey (Riskesdas) shows that the prevalence of smokers aged 10 to 18 years in the country has increased from 7.2 percent in 2013 to 9.1 percent in 2018.
The figure puts Indonesia, which has one of the world’s most liberal policies on tobacco, at the top of the list among other Asia-Pacific countries.
"We are considering proposing that smoking prevention be added into the Child Protection Law as we have received suggestions from various parties," the ministry's child protection deputy, Nahar, told The Jakarta Post over the weekend.
