- Ensure that smoking status is recorded in all data.
- Ensure an uninterrupted supply of medicines and healthcare services to people with chronic diseases such as hypertension, heart diseases, diabetes and TB.
- Activate a national tobacco quitline and ensure that it is fully staffed for counselling and assisting in tobacco cessation which is greatly needed at this time.
- Immediately enforce a ban on sale, rent and use of waterpipes, shisha, electronic cigarettes, heated tobacco products (such as IQOS) and chewing tobacco.
- Ensure education and public communication on health effects of tobacco use and vaping, unhealthy diet, alcohol, lack of physical activity, and mental health issues.
- Strengthen the implementation and enforcement of tobacco control policies, including 100% tobacco-free public places, workplaces and public transportation. Complete tobacco free environments are the only proven way to protect people from secondhand smoke exposure, which is linked to respiratory and cardiovascular conditions and increased vulnerability to serious COVID-19 symptoms and mortality.
- Ban all types of tobacco advertising and promotion, including on internet, to protect youth, students and children from being exposed to tobacco advertising during #StayAtHome and home-based learning.
- Prohibit tobacco industry donations and partnerships and reject pseudo-science funded by the tobacco industry and its allies, and prohibit the sale of tobacco products and vape during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Immediately ratify the WHO FCTC (global tobacco treaty) and fully implement and enforce the WHO MPOWER measures (such as, raising taxes and prices of tobacco products to protect public health, especially the younger generation).
Some of the prominent organizations among forty two who have endorsed the appeal to the Indonesian President include: Pimpinan Pusat Muhammadiyah (Dr Agus Taufiqurrahman); Majelis Pembina Kesehatan Umum PP Muhammadiyah - MPKU (Dr S Mohammad Agus Samsudin); Ketua Perhimpunan Dokter Paru Indonesia (Dr Agus Dwi Susanto); Perhimpunan Dokter Spesialis Kardiovaskular Indonesia - PERKI (Dr Usman Firdaus); Perhimpunan Dokter Spesialis Penyakit Dalam Indonesia - PAPDI (Dr Sally A Nasution); Pengurus Pusat Ikatan Dokter Anak Indonesia IDAI (Dr Aman B Pulungan); Tim Penanganan COVID-19 RS Persahabatan (Dr Erlina Burhan); Ketua Umum Ikatan Ahli Kesehatan Masyarakat JAKMI (Dr Ede Surya Darmawan); Forum Petani Multikultur Indonesia; No Tobacco Community - NOTC Bogor (Bambang Priyono); among others.
Bobby Ramakant - CNS (Citizen News Service)
(Bobby Ramakant is a WHO Director General's WNTD awardee and part of CNS and APCAT Media (Asia Pacific regional media network to end TB & tobacco and prevent NCDs. Follow him on Twitter @bobbyramakant, or visit www.citizen-news.org)
- Shared under Creative Commons (CC)
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
