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Tobacco control at school protects children’s rights
JP/Budhi ButtonNational Children’s Day, which fell on July 23 always, is a good opportunity to observe how far the state has upheld children’s rights, especially the rights to health and an environment that supports their growth
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JP/Budhi Button
National Children’s Day, which fell on July 23 always, is a good opportunity to observe how far the state has upheld children’s rights, especially the rights to health and an environment that supports their growth.
One constant threat to children’s health and growth is their exposure to tobacco. Smoking among children and adolescents in the country rises from year to year. The latest National Health Research in 2018 shows that 9.1 percent of children aged 10 to 18 year are smokers. The figure is almost double the National Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJM) estimate of 5.4 percent in 2019. Additionally, the 2013 Global Youth Tobacco Survey found that 10 to 19 of percent children aged under 10 worldwide have tried smoking various kinds of tobacco.
The early introduction of smoking among children is strongly related to the smoking habits of family members, exemplified by either parents or siblings. The World Health Organization found that more than half (57.3 percent) of children aged 13 to 15 are exposed to tobacco and are used to people smoking in their home environment. This may explain why the prevalence of young smokers has steadily increased over the last few years.
In addition to family members smoking in the home, the school environment has also made children vulnerable to tobacco exposure. About 85 percent of schools, monitored by Lentera Anak Foundation in 2005, were exposed to cigarette advertisements in the surrounding environment.
Efforts to limit smoking at school are stipulated in Education and Culture Ministerial Decree No. 64/2015 on schools as no-smoking areas. The regulation applies not only to schoolchildren but also teachers, employees and everyone within the school environment. The decree requires schools to integrate smoking-related prohibitions in school regulations, reject any form of advertisement, promotion, sponsorship and/or contribution from cigarette companies and/or related organizations, prohibit the sale of cigarettes within the school compound and put up no-smoking signs.
No studies have been conducted on the effectiveness of the decree. As a comparison, a 2006 study in the Netherlands discovered no association between the application of no-smoking areas and students’ smoking habits because the students witnessed their peers, parents, teachers and siblings smoking.
Regional education and culture agencies are supposed to oversee the implementation of the decree in schools, but unfortunately this responsibility does not top their agenda. Furthermore, even if the decree was enforced, cigarette sellers and advertisements are still easily found just outside school compounds.
Beyond school walls, children’s exposure to cigarette ads on the internet is beyond the control of both teachers and parents. In recent research by Tobacco Control Center, Indonesian Public Health Association (TCSC IAKMI), it was revealed that children and adolescents received greater exposure to cigarette advertising from the internet.
In response to the finding, the Health Ministry wrote to the Communications and Information Ministry last month to ask the latter to ban cigarette advertisements on the internet.
However, the attempt has been met with opposition from the Industry Ministry and the tobacco industry. They insist that a ban would violate an earlier regulation on tobacco ads and create legal uncertainty that would jeopardize theinvestment climate.
Such a claim, however, has no solid basis. Allowing cigarettes to circulate and exposing children to cigarette advertisements is clearly a form of violation of children’s rights. Since it concerns basic human rights, strict rules and supervision of the circulation of cigarette advertisements on the internet need to be established.
The 2014 Child Protection Law stipulates protection of children from harmful, addictive substances. Cigarettes fall in this category, although many have offered scientific counterarguments.
We clearly need more comprehensive and innovative efforts to protect our children from exposure to cigarettes.
Aside from regulation, a public campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of smoking among children that targets parents, particularly less educated ones, is needed. If necessary, the campaign could be integrated into parenting classes.
Cigarette sales and marketing activities that target children also need to be closely monitored. The government should stipulate clear and harsh sanctions for tobacco industry players that target children and increase excise on cigarettes to make sure the product is not affordable for children.
Given the fact that children are our future, assuring them of their basic rights is more important than potential economic loss or gain.
Upholding children’s rights is a clever future investment of a nation. Without strong commitment to protecting them from cigarettes, we would not only be violating their rights but also neglecting their health and depriving them of their dreams and potential.
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The writer, a graduate of clinical and public health nutrition at University College London, is knowledge management officer at Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization – Regional Center for Food and Nutrition (SEAMEO RECFON).
