Indonesia Faces “Wolves' in Anti-Tobacco Campaign
Thursday, 20 November, 2008 | 16:50 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Durban:Patricia Lambert, director of The International Legal Consortium on Tobacco Free Kids feels that Indonesia is facing the challenge of two groups in protecting the community from tobacco consumption namely the government and the tobacco industry. This was conveyed during her presentation at the WHO Convention on Tobacco Control Framework, at the Hilton Durban Hotel, South Africa, Tuesday local time.

According to Lambert, the prospects of protecting the community’s health against the negative impacts of tobacco in Indonesia was very worrying. So far, the government has not ratified the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), resulting in the absence of policies to protect the people's health.

Based on the Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance annual report dated last October, Indonesia does not have any regulations and makes no effort to protect people's health. Only some cigarette companies have placed small-sized warnings on the dangers of smoking on their packaging. Indonesia also does not have any regulation banning advertisements, sponsors, promotions on cigarette and tobaccos in media or indoor and outdoor spaces.

Lambert likened the people to chickens that must be protected from the 'wolves'. If the government is really determined to protect people's health, it must release the wolves from the chicken's cage or put the wolves in a cage. However, she said, the Indonesian government does not have the political will to do so. “The case in Indonesia is very interesting in terms of tobacco control. Indonesia has two wolves,” Patricia said.


Lambert further regards the Indonesian government as having a close relationship with tobacco industry. This makes it difficult to protect people from tobacco consumption, although the government has now adopted several of the FCTC’s points. Among them are to put warning stickers on cigarette packages and create smoking areas. She also said that a strong political will is necessary, both from the government and the legislative, to protect people from the dangers of tobacco. As long as there is no legal umbrella, she said, maximum protection will not be possible.


Dian Yuliastuti