The Kebumen Regency Government together with Muhammadiyah Steps Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta conducted a Workshop on Enforcement of Regional Regulation Number 10 of 2017 concerning Non-Smoking Areas (Perda KTR) on Wednesday (30/9). The Kebumen Regency KTR Perda was passed in 2017 along with its technical instructions (Perbup 66 of 2017). The aim of this activity is to provide the latest insights and innovations in implementing and enforcing the Perda KTR in Kebumen Regency.
Before the main event began, participants gave a statement of commitment from representatives of Regional Apparatus Organizations (OPD) within the Kebumen Regency Government. This was done in the form of signing a commitment witnessed by the Assistant to the Government of Kebumen Regency, the Coordination Forum for Regional Leaders of Kebumen Regency, and the Muhammadiyah Steps (UMY).
Nugroho Tri Yulianto, Assistant for Economy and Development and representative of the Regent of Kebumen, welcomed this activity. “There is hope that in the future this activity will be able to contribute to improving the health and welfare of the people in Kebumen Regency, especially in Realizing a Prosperous, Excellent and Competitive Kebumen Regency,” he said.
Meanwhile, Resti Yulianti, Ns., M.Kep., Sp.KMB said that the no-smoking area program is very important in the current COVID-19 pandemic conditions. “The smoking-free area program and controlling tobacco consumption is in line with efforts to prevent Covid-19 transmission. In addition to adapting programs for new habits such as maintaining distance, washing hands with soap and running water and wearing a mask, what needs to be added is to maintain immunity and not smoke. Many studies have proven that smoking may risk contracting COVID-19. One of the potential possibilities for contracting COVID-19 is from opening masks, touching cigarettes from hands and touching lips, “said the lecturer at the UMY Nursing Study Program.
However, to achieve a smoke-free area, the right synergy is needed. Agung Pambudi, Head of Kebumen Regency Police Force, said that there must be an optimization of the role of the task force for monitoring and enforcing the smoke-free areas in supervising and enforcing local regulations on smoking-free areas. If the task force can run optimally, then an optimal smoke-free area can be realized.
“The existing designated smoke-free areas are not arbitrarily enforced. The regulation still provides an allocation for smokers to smoke, but in designated places, namely smoking areas. Special smoking areas can be provided only in workplaces and public places as stipulated in the KTR Perda of Kebumen Regency,” said Agung.
After this meeting, the task force for monitoring the non-smoking area which was formed by a decree from the Regent of Kebumen was mobilized massively. The follow-up plan at the meeting was to form a task force at each OPD to be able to assist and optimize the implementation and enforcement of smoke-free areas during the Covid-19 pandemic, as an effort to reduce out-of-office activities and mass gathering. (Hbb)
