Government has firmly controlled negative impacts of tobacco by legalizing Law No. 36/2009 on Health and a government regulation No. 109/2012 on Security of Addictive Materials in Tobacco Products for Health. Article 115 of the health law regulates Free Smoking Area (KTR) such as health service facilities, learning teaching spaces, playgrounds, worship places, public transportations, workplaces, and public facilities. Besides, article 52 of a government No. 109/2012 emphasizes that ‘Local government must mention free smoking area on local regulations’.
Local government of Yogyakarta city also possesses a mayor regulation No. 12/2015 on Free Smoking Area in Yogyakarta city, yet it has not been established. Political law of tobacco controls is reviewed due to regional government regulations (Perda) by the Yogyakarta Regional Legislative Council (DPRD) which is different from law and government regulations as references. Thus, Muhammadiyah Tobacco Control Center (MTCC) attempted to organize Focus Group Discussion (FGD) of ‘Review of government regulation bill of Yogyakarta Free Smoking Are’ on Wednesday (14/9) at meeting hall of A.R. Fachruddin A, floor 5, Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta (UMY). The FGD was attended by several officials such as heads of Health across DIY, chairpersons of law division across DIY, and representative of law faculty of a number of universities in Yogyakarta.
Vice Chairperson of MTCC, Dianita Sugiyo expected that the FGD would provide inputs to regional government regulation bill so that it can be proposed and legalized by DPRD of Yogyakarta city. “The FGD aims at analyzing regional government regulation bill on Free Smoking Area in Yogyakarta, and the analyseis results can be recommended to DPRD of Yogyakarta,” she conveyed.
A staff of law division of MTCC as well as a law lecturer of UMY, Tanto Lailam, S.H., wished that the bill can accommodate all dealing with the free smoking area. “This bill is not to forbid people to quit smoking. Smoking or not smoking is human rights so that tobacco cannot be associated to free smoking area. The bill is to accommodate both smokers and non-smokers,” Tanto declared.
Tanto inserted that the bill should be more comprehensive. He suggested several editorials in the bill. “All smoking activities such as production, advertising, and sponsorship should be regulated as well,” he ended.
