Soesatyo put forth the request in a written statement made available in Jakarta on Friday in connection with the observance of World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) on May 31.
"WNTD offers the momentum to serve as a reminder and disseminate information to the public of the dangers of smoking and its impact on health," Soesatyo, who is familiarly known as Bamsoet, noted.
Bamsoet, who is also a Golkar Party politician, emphasized that the government should maximize the protection of the public`s rights to health, such as advocating and raising awareness of the establishment of smoke-free areas in all settings, including in the family environment.
According to Bamsoet, the government already has a legal umbrella in place to increase the number of no-smoking areas through Government Regulation (PP) Number 19 of 2003 concerning safety measures for smoking and health, and PP Number 109 of 2012 concerning control of materials containing addictive substances in the form of tobacco products in the interest of health, among others.
Moreover, a Joint Regulation of the Minister of Health and Minister of Home Affairs Number 188/MENKES/PB/I/2011 and No. 7 of 2011 on guidelines for the implementation of no-smoking areas aims to reduce cigarette addiction in children and adolescents.
Bamsoet asserted that cigarettes can threaten the quality of future generations, so protection of public health should be maximized.
Reporter: Andi Abdussalam
Editor: Otniel Tamindael
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