"We must make sure that they remain free from smoking. Certain places have been declared non-smoking areas, so we will not find it hard to impose the ban all over the city," Surabaya Vice Mayor Whisnu Sakti Buana said, after attending a plenary meeting at the city legislative assembly (DPRD) building here on Monday.
In their general views on the draft bylaw on non-smoking areas, some factions in the city legislative assembly said the smoking ban in public areas actually confirms the 2008 bylaw concerning smoking free areas and limited-smoking areas.
"So far, the public has understood that they can refrain from smoking in schools," he said.
However, he added, to make the bylaw effective, the city government needs to explain the details of the bylaw to the public.
"Let us see the deliberation (of the draft bylaw) with the DPRD," he said.
Chief of the Surabaya City Health Office Febria Rahmanita said when the draft bylaw is passed into law, smoking areas will no longer be available in public places.
Under bylaw number 5 of 2008, smoking areas were still available in public areas. "But they will all be banned," she said.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
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