Cigarette Consumption in Indonesia has elevated every year, and the number of cigarettes was up to 240 billion in 2009 which it was only 30 billion cigarettes in 1970. This number has been in the level of bothering and worrying the society. Nevertheless, most people are apathetic about the cigarette issue and the economic loss of the society because of the diseases caused by cigarette. Moreover, the government prefers the state income of cigarette tax to their public health.
Higher education, the highest level of young generation, should be able to help to overcome the cigarette issues through implementing Non-Smoking Area (KTR). Furthermore, universities tend to be main targets of tobacco industry. Thus, the universities should initiate and create an action to control the cigarette consumption.
The aforementioned paragraphs were the statement of Prof. Dr. H. Edy Suandi Hamid, M. Ec., as the Head of Indonesian Private University Association (APTISI) when being the speaker of a seminar and workshop of “The Implementation of Non-Smoking Area (KTR) at university environment”. The event, organized by Muhammadiyah Tobacco Center (MTCC) of Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta (UMY) and cooperating with APTISI, was held on Thursday (18/12) in Grand Zury Hotel of Yogyakarta. It was attended by Bambang Sulistomo, the expert staff former of Ministry of Health of RI, and Tinuk Istiarti, the Dean of FKM of Diponegoro University (Undip).
According to Prof. Edy, universities should become not only passive institutions in coping with the cigarette issues. Engaging in applying KTR, the universities could be considered that they actively get involved in cigarette management and control. “Besides, universities across Indonesia, particularly private universities, could conduct various researches and development on the pandemic effects of tobacco products in social, economic, educational, and cultural aspects. It aims at embodying the rights of healthy life and creating qualified and competitive young generation and notion,” he explained.
Another way, based on Prof Edy, was rejecting scholarship and sponsorship proposals from tobacco industries. “Universities should refuse the offer of scholarships and sponsorships from tobacco industries. It is the way of managing the hazards of cigarette. The regulation has been established for all private universities of APTISI’s members in order that they do not achieve any scholarships and sponsorships of tobacco industries,” he expounded.
Meanwhile, Bambang Sulistomo, the expert staff former of Ministry of Health of RI, mentioned that the cigarette consumption had ensued to teenagers, and it also happened to the ones under age. In fact, many negative effects for teenagers who consume cigarette. “Several studies reveal that smoking teenagers and children would most likely be drug addicts 15 times greater than the ones do not smoke. They would likely be alcoholics 3 times greater,” he mentioned.
Another effect for teenagers, Bambang continued, was diminishing their emotional intelligence, the ability to learn and interact with other people, and they would be harder to adapt to the changing social environment.
Hence, Bambang agreed if all Indonesian universities could implement the Non-Smoking Area (KTR). One of the purposes of the event was to encourage universities in DIY and Central Java in order that they could apply Non-Smoking Area (KTR) in the campuses, and it was evidence of concern with the rights of the society to be healthy.
