"We are being confronted by strong capitalists. Cigarette businessmen are among the richest men in the world, but smokers include the poorest," NGO activist said.
Jakarta (Antara News) - Some 73,956,480 people died of tobacco-related diseases since the first Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) working group was formed on October 28, 1999, according to the Death Clock, which keeps track of tobacco-related deaths.

The first meeting of the working group on the future World Health Organization (WHO) FCTC was held on October 28, 1999.

The WHO FCTC is the worlds first modern-day global public health treaty. It was adopted by the World Health Assembly on May 21, 2003, and it came into effect on February 27, 2005.

Since its establishment, it has become one of the most rapidly and widely embraced treaties in the United Nations history, according to information published on the official website of WHO.

The convention was developed to tackle the global spread of the tobacco epidemic and is an evidence-based treaty that reaffirms the rights of all people to the highest standards of health.

As of now, some 168 of the 192 WHO member states have signed the treaty and 178 WHO member states have become parties to the convention.

Indonesia, however, is not one of the parties, and therefore, the WHO and UNICEF have called on the country to ratify the FCTC.

"Indonesia plays an important role in the field of health internationally. We hope that Indonesia ratifies the FCTC soon," Farouk, the WHO representative to Indonesia, remarked during a discussion on "The Urgency of Access to FCTC For Child Protection," held in Jakarta, on Sept. 15, 2014.

The UN bodies consider that it is crucial for Indonesia, one of the largest tobacco producers in the world, to sign the treaty on tobacco control.

UNICEF representative in Indonesia Keeny Peetosutan stated during the discussion that the number of smokers continues to increase, and it can affect the health of the public at large.

Cigarette smoking has also contributed to a decrease in welfare activities to a significant extent, Peetosutan noted, adding that the UNICEF will lend its support if the government signs the FCTC ratification.

The two UN bodies had sent letters of support to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on March 25, 2014, urging Indonesia to become a party to the convention, following Ethiopia which is the 178th party. The 178 parties represent 89.1 percent of the worlds population.

Indonesian Womens Empowerment and Child Protection Minister Linda Amalia Sari Gumelar claimed that she has encouraged President Yudhoyono to ratify the FCTC before his tenure ends next month.

"Hopefully, within the next 30 days, the president is ready to sign the FCTC ratification," Minister Gumelar stated in the discussion.

Indonesia has a moral responsibility to protect the rights of its children to allow them to grow in a healthy manner, she emphasized.

Out of Indonesias 250 million population, 30 percent or 82 million are children.

As per data from the 2013 health research, the number of smokers reached 67.4 percent. Child smokers constitute 1.4 percent of the total population. Some 40.3 million children live with smokers.

Executive Director of Lentera Anak Indonesia Hery Chariansyah, who participated in the discussion, also urged President Yudhoyono to sign the instrument of ratification.

"Unfortunately, Indonesia is the only country in Asia and the Pacific region that has not ratified it," he stated.

He noted that the number of child smokers aged between 10 to 14 years has increased from 9.5 percent in 2001 to 17.5 percent in 2010.

The number of teen smokers between 14 and 19 years of age rose from 12.7 percent in 2001 to 20.3 percent in 2010.

"These statistics are very worrisome and have the potential to threaten the demographic bonus expected to be enjoyed during 2020-2030," he pointed out.

Cigarette advertisements tend to target the younger generation to draw more consumers to sustain the industry, he asserted.

Chairman of the Commission of Indonesian Child Protection (KPAI) Asrorun Niam Sholeh stated that the decision to ratify the FCTC would not be an easy task as the government will face strong opposition from the cigarette industry.

The industry would reject the idea to ratify the convention, he noted.

The tobacco industry continues to be one of the key sources of the countrys income. At least 6.1 million people are employed in cigarette industries or as tobacco farmers.

Besides this, the Indonesian government has enjoyed significant amounts of tobacco taxes over the years. In 2012 and 2013, for instance, the country received at least Rp84 trillion and Rp85 trillion, respectively, in the form of tobacco taxes.

"Raise taxes on tobacco" was the theme for World No Tobacco Day 2014, which was commemorated on May 31, 2014. Research shows that higher taxes are effective in reducing tobacco use among the lower-income groups and preventing youngsters from becoming smokers.

The government has been urged to protect the basic rights of children as the nations next generation, rather than giving priority to the tobacco industry or the countrys revenues.

"We are being confronted by strong capitalists. Cigarette businessmen are among the richest men in the world, but smokers include the poorest," he affirmed.

"This (FCTC ratification) is a jihad (holy war). We must ensure that the children are protected from being exposed to addictive substances," he added. (*)
(f001/INE)

Reporter: Fardah
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
Copyright © ANTARA 2014