THE HOMEWORK OF TOBACCO CONTROL IN INDONESIA1
ANDI THARSIA2
Tobacco control in Indonesia has pressing in hardly from industry and community which called as pro-tobacco farmers association. They claimed if a regulation of tobacco just lack of advantages for farmers and industry what using a tobacco as primary substance (Read : cigarette). This case is regrettable, because the rights for public health from tobacco deviation has crashed with many interested. Honestly, a tobacco farmers just an object and powerless if Regulation Plan for Tobacco Control didn’t work/valid. And then, Indonesia is one only of the state in Asia has rejected ratification for FCTC (Framework Convention on Tobacco Control). The government still haven’t give a seriously princip for tobacco control for nation prosperous. The cigarette cartel can play and gratified to House of Representative members with money or other gifts for counter issues ahead activist which pushing on negative effect for cigarette and tobacco deviation.
Struggle for campaign of tobacco control is not good forever. The cigarette industry very fast and found opportunity campaign with sponsorship through sports, music, fashion and bring the society to didn’t care with anti-cigarette and tobacco control campaign. They are very strongly to aim for teenages and adult and they have an acronym sign for this, like YAUS (Young Adult Urban Smokers), YAFS (Young Adult Female Smokers) and YAMS (Young Adult Male Smokers). They are succes to brainwash them with suggestion in advertise to courageous and smashed the value of life was make for better life, and look like mutineer, not as agent of change.
This is the biggest homework for us, which focus for tobacco control issues and could be give a preventive action and save our family from smoking and cigarette. We must optimistic for new trending : Life without smoke. And fact of smoker is they are known about negative effect of cigarette. But, the obstacle in this time, they didn’t have a strong motivated for stop of smoking habit. In one side, they are want to stop for smoking, but in other side, they are still have to bought and consumed a cigarette. In Indonesian idiom, this like “Jauh Panggang dari Api-A Roast have a distance from fire”. A smoker loved an argumented and still make a truth for himself and give an “antithesis” for the appaling fact on cigarette. They claimed that nicotine is not dangerous for health especially for lung and heart, commonly ail of smoker. In fact, this hesitation also an opinion Prof. Ian Hindmarch, from University of Surrey, England and argument of Sharon Boyse from Public Relation of BAT International-the bigger cigarette factory in the world for smoothing a controversion statement for negative effect of cigarette and was successfull to suggest a smokers (Read : A Giant Pack of Lies. 2011: Page.113-114).
This is our time for fight and struggle head to head with cigarette industry and taking action to give an awareness not only with petition and demonstration, but also real action starting from ourselves, our family and our society to change a mindset about cigarette and smoke. We helped smoker because they still our brother, our sister, our friend which tricked with cigarette advertise, and Indonesia not entry for cigarette emergency again.
1Contribution article for official website of CTCS : www.ctcs.acehresearh.org
2Vice Director of CTCS