LETTER: Tobacco is killing
US President Barack Obama used to smoke for years. He never said that smoking is good or that quitting is easy. He has made clear that quitting is a struggle.
Tobacco kills more than 500,000 Indonesians every year. But some legislators still conclude that even to debate signing the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) is “not urgent”. They are risking 225 million Indonesian citizens due to primary, secondary and third-party chain-smokers.
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Cigarettes are advertised on TV. There are cigarette advertisements on billboards. Tobacco companies sponsor everything from sports leagues to dance parties to scholarships.
Preventing smoking among the young generation is a compulsory measure. We can only build Indonesia with healthy citizens. Let us pray that President Obama will stop smoking as well.
