Editorial: Raiding smokers
We totally support the noble battle of several anti-smoking organizations against smokers who endanger the health, and even lives, of other people by smoking anywhere they like, including in legally prohibited areas.
But the NGOs’ plan to conduct raids across the city, targeting law-breaking smokers is ridiculous. They have gone too far. They should drop the plan to act as “illegal” law enforcers. . . .
Therefore, Fauzi’s plan to involve pressure groups from the civil society to stop smoking in public places should be supported as long as they are not authorized to carry out any law enforcement. We cannot rely on the government alone to carry out anti-tobacco campaigns because strong lobbies from tobacco industry will always try to block any government policies that are not in favor of the industry.
In this case, the role of anti-tobacco groups is important not only to warn people about the danger of tobacco to their health, but also to advocate government agencies to produce anti-tobacco regulations.
But such campaign will be a never-ending process and therefore, the city administration at least needs to consistently impose smoking bans on public places and punish violators to make sure that nonsmokers are well-protected from the hazardous substance of tobacco.
