Protecting Young Generation from Bondage of Cigarette Industry

Bogor, MINA – The Indonesia Institute for Social Development (IISD) together with the Muhammadiyah Student Association (IPM) are currently concentrating on an effort to encourage the government to limit young people’s access to cigarettes and reduce exposure to cigarette advertisements.

This effort was also marked by carrying out a series of activities “Workshop on Tactics and Strategies for Facing Cigarette Industry Intervention” which was held for three days on Saturday-Monday, 12-14 December 2020 in Sentul, Bogor.

IISD Program Manager, Artati Haris, explained that organizing this workshop is important to know and analyze how the cigarette industry intervenes so that it can become a basis for developing strategies and future steps.

“All forms of support from IISD are given to the Muhammadiyah Young Generation, especially the Muhammadiyah Student Association, to have a voice, encouraging them not to become and refuse to become targets of the cigarette industry,” Artati told MINA on the sidelines of the opening of the workshop held by IPM in collaboration with IISD on Saturday.

According to him, Indonesia’s potential and productivity are being threatened because of the high exposure to cigarettes in the younger generation.

Artati explained that the increasing number of child smokers was influenced by the massive advertising, promotion and sponsorship of cigarettes, as well as the price of cigarettes which was still very affordable for children.

“For that, it is very important for activists to increase efforts or movements in building awareness of children and adolescents not to approach these addictive products,” he said.

Indonesia is a country with the third highest number of smokers in the world, behind China and India.

Based on the 2018 Basic Health Research (Riskesdas) data, the prevalence of smokers over the age of 15 reached 33.8 percent and the population aged 10-18 years increased from 7.2 percent in 2013 to 9.1 percent in 2018.

The results of research released by the Tobacco Control Support Center (TCSC) Indonesia in 2018, there is a positive correlation between advertising, promotion and sponsorship of cigarettes with the smoking status of a child.

The same publication indicated that TV, Music Shows and Free Cigarette Sampling were the three advertising, promotion and sponsorship activities most closely related to smoking status in children and adolescents.

The hybrid workshop (face-to-face and online) was attended by participants from representatives of the Muhammadiyah Youth Force, namely PP IPM, DPP Muhammadiyah Student Association, PP Nasyiatul Aisyiyah, PP Pemuda Muhammadiyah, and PW IPM Representatives.

Chairman of the Muhammadiyah Student Association (IPM) Hafizh Syafa’aturrahman said, this workshop is expected to generate ideas, ideas and action agendas that can encourage the government to side with the protection of the younger generation from the dangers of smoking and the dangers of the cigarette industry.

“We hope Muhammadiyah can build a common perception about cigarette industry intervention in blocking tobacco control policies in Indonesia,” said Hafizh on the sidelines of the workshop opening.

In addition, he continued, the expected result in this activity was to design a strategy and agenda for joint action against cigarette industry intervention.

Hafizh urged the Government to stop the tobacco industry’s seduction of young people to avoid the future burden of the country from chronic diseases due to tobacco use.

“Increasing adolescent understanding of the bad effects of smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke is one solution.Another solution is to untangle the myth of cool smoking spread by tobacco companies with an effective counter-campaign, ”he added.

He deeply regrets the various tactics used by the cigarette industry to lure young people to start smoking and become addicted. This is done from making advertisements in the style of cool young people, placing advertisements around schools, to making price per stick promotions in their advertisements.

In addition, through many programs such as CSR (corporate social responsibility), the cigarette industry legitimizes itself with policy makers and the public to fight the negative attention of its deadly products.

The Muhammadiyah Student Association is an autonomous Muhammadiyah organization that becomes a forum for students to provide assistance and empowerment.

As a student organization, of course there are many voices of student interests. Da’wah amar ma’ruf nahi munkar remains the main movement to be the successor of the Muhammadiyah movement. (T/RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)