Last Updated Sun, 05 Feb 2006 15:48:57 EST CBC News
A ban on smoking in public places, which could mean jail time for offenders, took effect on the weekend in the capital of Indonesia. Observers say the new law is unlikely to discourage hardened smokers from lighting up, despite penalties of up to six months in jail and fines of almost $5,500 US.
The ban applies to Jakarta’s restaurants, hotels, schools, office buildings, airports and public transportation systems.
It also includes a ban on pedestrians smoking on the streets, with the city planning to deploy 1,000 officers to catch violators.
The fines and jail terms could be imposed on either individual smokers or building owners who break the law.
Indonesia is one of the largest tobacco markets in the world and sales contribute about 6.5 per cent of Indonesia’s annual budget through taxation.
Smoking is thought to account for 57,000 deaths a year nationwide.
SMOKER’S CORNER: Smokers puff inside a booth at Soekarno Hatta Airport in Cengkareng, Banten province, on Sunday. Although not affected by Jakarta’s smoking ban, the airport is the only public transportation facility that has provided a special smoking room. (JP/R.Berto Wedhatama)
‘Smoking ban part of public education’ The administration has vowed to clean up Jakarta’s air. Besides vehicle owners being obliged to get their exhaust emissions tested, the 2005 Bylaw on air pollution control also stipulates a smoking ban in public spaces and buildings, schools and on public buses and trains. The Jakarta Post asked residents about the implementation of the ban.
Daniel Zulkarnaen, 29, works at an office on Jl. Sudirman. He lives with his family in North Bekasi.
My personal experience is that I often hear complaints from non-smokers when I smoke. Although I am a smoker I agree with the ban as long as smokers are given special rooms to smoke in.
We can light up and puff away without disturbing others.
The smoking ban can be a way to educate the public on how to respect others’ rights. Indonesians can start to learn this from this bylaw.
I hope the city administration enforces the ban seriously and generates other regulations to discipline city residents about crossing the street or queuing.
However, I think many people still don’t understand how this ban will work. I am one of them. The media has not been thorough in making this ban public and I think it’s also the duty of the administration to promote it to the broader public so it is clear.
If I violate the ban, then who is going to give me a sanction? Who will be in charge of keeping on eye on violators? Such questions remain, I still don’t understand.
Firdaus Iwan, 26, is a student at the University of Indonesia School of Law. He lives with his family in Permata Hijau, West Jakarta:
I don’t agreed with the ban because it would restrict personal rights although it might reduce how much I smoke.
Whether I smoke or not its my right to make that choice.
I see that many buildings do not have areas specially designed for smokers. I think that the administration is not ready to enforce the ban.
The effect of this bylaw is that many buildings must be renovated because smoking rooms will have to be provided.
But what bothers me the most is that many people will be jobless because of this law. Many street vendors will not be able to sell cigarettes due to the drop in cigarette smoking. And, many factories will cut back on the number of workers because the production will drop. –The Jakarta Post