(Bogor, Indonesia and New York, USA) – Vital Strategies congratulates Bogor City’s Mayor and the Head of the Department of Health on their implementation and strengthening of tobacco control laws that protect health. Bogor was the first city in Indonesia to implement a smoking ban in public places and a tobacco display ban in retail outlets. Now authorities have strengthened these laws, to include a comprehensive ban on tobacco advertising, promotions and sponsorships and a hotline people can use to report violations of the smoke-free laws.
Progress was celebrated today with a bicycle parade through the city led by the Mayor, a youth “No Tobacco Declaration” event, the launch of new billboard ads across the city, designed to educate people about tobacco’s harms and encourage compliance with the city’s smoke-free laws, and other events.
The Mayor of Bogor, Dr. Bima Arya Sugiarto, commented: “Today’s events show our commitment to tobacco control and our refusal to be cowed by tobacco industry threats. Bogor is a city of young people and we strengthened our tobacco control policies to protect our people, especially our youth. We urge other cities to follow our lead: everyone has the right to a healthier life – an outcome that is also better for our economy.”
Dr. Rubaeah, the Head of Bogor City’s Department of Health said: “Our tobacco control efforts are bearing fruit: data shows that compliance with the tobacco display ban in retail outlets was nearly 83 percent in 2017. But more than 44 percent (446,000) of people in Bogor are still tobacco users and compliance with the Smoke-Free Area regulation was just 64 percent.”
The new billboard ads feature a hotline number to encourage people to report violations of the smoke-free law, to increase compliance and better protect citizens.
Enrico Aditjondro, Vital Strategies’ Associate Director, Southeast Asia, said: “Indonesia’s workforce includes growing numbers of young people, whose productivity should accelerate economic growth. National increases in youth smoking will increase tobacco-related disease and premature death among this age group –potentially restricting productivity. What’s more, lack of national progress in strong tobacco control policy implementation makes it impossible for our country to meet its targets under the Sustainable Development Goals. Cities can be important drivers of public health progress, and we commend Dr. Bima Arya Sugiarto on his personal commitment to tobacco control. As today’s vibrant and energetic events show, Bogor is an example for other cities to follow.”
The new advertising campaign launches today on billboards across the city, featuring eight different advertisements to discourage tobacco use. They all include the call to action: #TeuHayangRokok (#SayNoToCigarettes) and the number of a hotline people can use to report violations of Bogor’s smokefree laws. The artwork for the billboards was created by Imelda Hutabarat and Koma. Vital Strategies and the NoTobacco Community provided assistance to Bogor city’s government for this campaign, which is being promoted via the #SuaraTanpaRokok social media campaign and microsite at http://suaratanparokok.co.id.
Notes to Editors
Tobacco’s deadly cost to Indonesia:
According to The Tobacco Atlas, more than 53, million adults use tobacco each day in Indonesia. The proportion of men, boys and girls who use tobacco is higher in Indonesia than the average in comparable countries. Tobacco kills more than 225,000 Indonesians every year and in 2016, it was the cause of more than 21 percent of deaths among adult men – higher than the average in comparable countries. Studies indicate that Indonesian males are initiating tobacco use at younger and younger ages. Alarmingly, the Ministry of Health’s 2018 Basic Health Survey (RISKESDAS) found an increase in smoking prevalence among Indonesia’s youth, aged between 10- and 18-years, from 7.2 percent in 2013 to 9.1 percent in 2018. Tobacco use is the leading risk factor for non-communicable diseases, which could cost Indonesia’s economy as much as US$4.5 trillion from 2012 to 2030, according to the World Economic Forum.
About Vital Strategies’ work in tobacco control:
Vital Strategies works globally and in more than 40 countries to support the adoption of proven policies to reduce tobacco use. Our global team of experts use policy, advocacy and strategic communication to help governments adopt life-saving, public health “best buys” like comprehensive smokefree laws and high tobacco taxes. Our evidence-based public education campaigns – designed to encourage quitting, delay initiation, support policy goals like compliance with smoke-free laws, and over the long term, reduce the acceptability of smoking and change attitudes about the tobacco industry – have been seen by more than 2 billion people. We partner with American Cancer Society to produce The Tobacco Atlas, (sixth ed.) the most comprehensive report on the evolving global tobacco epidemic, and support production of WHO’s MPOWER reports. Vital Strategies is a main partner in the $1 billion Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use.
For more information Vital Strategies’ work in tobacco control, please visit: https://www.vitalstrategies.org/programs/tobacco-control
Media Contact:
Tracey Johnston, Senior Communications Advisor
tjohnston@vitalstrategies.org; +44 7889 081170