Deputy Health Minister: 61 regions Have Set Up No-Smoking Areas

Yogyakarta, Dec 5 (ANTARA) - Sixty-one regions in Indonesia have set up no-smoking areas in an effort to control the bad impact of cigarette smoke, deputy health minister Ali Ghufron said. "The regions include 58 districts/cities and three provinces namely Jakarta, Bali and West Sumatra," he said at a conference on "Addressing Tobacco Problems in Developing Countries" here on Wednesday. The deputy minister said the involvement of and the role played by the Alliance of District Heads/City Mayors in the efforts to overcome health problems caused by cigarette smoke and contagious diseases have helped accelerate the setting up of no-smoking areas in various regions in the country. "Various efforts that have been taken so far by the government especially the health ministry and other sectors concerned as well as the public have led to the realization of the "Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC)," he explained. He said FCTC is a framework for protecting the younger generation from the impact of cigarette smoke and exposure to cigarette smoke. The minister said controlling the impact of cigarette smoke is the responsibility of all persons, lawmakers as well as the government. He said the government, researchers and non-governmental organizations must build common understanding and partnership with regard to the effort.