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City, NGOs to raid office, malls, buses for smokers
The city administration and a number of anti-smoking NGOs plan to conduct raids across the city targeting smokers caught ignoring the bylaw on smoking in restricted areas
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The city administration and a number of anti-smoking NGOs plan to conduct raids across the city targeting smokers caught ignoring the bylaw on smoking in restricted areas.
The sweep will focus on the seven public areas in which smoking was banned under the bylaw: office buildings, medical centers, schools, places of worship, children's playgrounds, public transportation and shopping centers, said Nita Yudi, chairwoman of the Indonesian Network of Women Against Tobacco, on Tuesday.
"The 10-day action will be held from Nov. 17 to 27. This is part of the effort to protect people from the dangers of cigarettes," said Nita at City Hall after a meeting with Governor Fauzi Bowo.
"We decided to take action because so far the administration has not implemented the 2005 city regulation on non-smoking areas and on air pollution control.
People caught smoking in the aforementioned public areas will be warned and required to sign an agreement stating they will not smoke in any restricted areas in the future, she said.
"We will not punish people caught smoking during the activity. We just want to embarrass them into reconsidering their actions, instead of punishing or fining them," said Nita.
Twelve NGOs, including the Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI) and Forum of Jakarta Residents (Fakta), will join the action.
"Officers from the city administration, the Jakarta environmental management board (BPLHD), the public order agency and the tourism agency will also participate," she said.
To coincide with the action, there will be a series of anti-smoking surveys conducted at office buildings throughout the capital, said Fakta coordinator Azas Tigor Nainggolan.
"The administration has agreed to the surveys. 70 percent of the surveys will take place in government buildings, like City Hall and subdistrict offices," said Tigor.
The smoking ban was imposed in January 2006.
People who violate the regulation face up to six months jail or a Rp 50 million (US$4,555) fine.
The smoking restriction was one of the key points in the administration's 2005 bylaw on air pollution control.
Although Jakarta issued the ruling years ago, the bylaw on air control has been deemed unworkable and has not been enforced, so smokers have not been punished for breaching it thus far.
Fauzi said the administration would tighten their enforcement of the anti-smoking regulation.
"The monitoring will be divided into regions. A subdistrict head, for example, will monitor the enforcement of the law in his or her subdistrict area. We will begin this way before implementing the law on public transportation," said Fauzi.
Highlights of the anti-smoking regulation:
- Managers or individuals overseeing restricted areas are responsible for ensuring their staff do not smoke in those areas. They also must impose punishments for staff caught smoking in the areas.
- Public areas and office buildings should provide a smoking room.
- School principals must forbid teachers and students from smoking around school areas.
- Students or teachers can warn people not to smoke at schools.
- Drivers or conductors should forbid passengers from smoking on public transport.
