It is possible that we will launch the dashboard in November (2022).Bogor, W Java (ANTARA) - The Health Ministry will soon launch a non-smoking area (KTR) dashboard and application in a number of pilot areas as part of efforts to curb smoking.
The information system will combine data on local governments’ efforts to control smoking in public areas and violations conducted by smokers, Director for Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases at the ministry Eva Susanti said after the dissemination of the KTR dashboard to the Bogor city government at Bogor City Hall, West Java Province, on Tuesday.
"It is possible that we will launch the dashboard in November (2022). There are several cities which we have considered to be able to be trained to manage the dashboard," she informed.
Her party will choose seven to nine cities across Indonesia as pilot locations for the implementation of the KTR dashboard and application, including Bogor city, which has been enforcing the no-smoking area regulations quite well.
The criteria for being the pilot location for the implementation of the KTR Dashboard include having sufficient regional regulations (Perda) or other rules to prohibit smoking and the sale of cigarettes as well as carrying out various innovations regarding KTR implementation.
The dashboard will allow smoking violations in non-smoking areas to be monitored through an integrated system in the future.
Each region will be ranked based on the regulations issued by each regional government, the performance of the region’s KTR task force in monitoring and reporting violations, as well as the efforts of the regional governments in disseminating information on the no-smoking areas.
The dashboard will also include several KTR assessment indicators, such as community compliance reports that include the number of people found smoking in KTR, the provision of KTR signs, the provision of special smoking rooms, the cigarette sales figure, the number of cigarette promotion media, the number of cigarette butts found littered, the provision of ashtrays and matches, as well as the detection of the smell of cigarette smoke.
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Other indicators comprise the implementation of law enforcement, which includes the number of individuals and companies found violating KTR regulations as well as their sanctions.
The Health Ministry is striving to reduce the number of tobacco and electric cigarette smokers as the habit is harmful to people’s health. Moreover, the number of smokers aged 10–18 years is quite high, Susanti noted.
According to data from Statistics Indonesia (BPS), in the past three years, the number of smokers aged 10–18 years old has surpassed 3 percent nationally to reach 3.87 percent in 2019, 3.81 percent in 2020, and 3.69 percent in 2021.
Meanwhile, the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS), which was conducted in 2011 and 2021 and involved 9,156 respondents, found that in the past 10 years, the number of adult smokers has significantly increased by 8.8 million: from 60.3 million people in 2011 to 69.1 million in 2021.
"We expect that the KTR (dashboard can be implemented) in all 514 cities and regencies (across Indonesia)," the official added.
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Translator: Linna Susanti, Uyu Liman
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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