Bali Declaration: Is it the clarion call to #endTobacco?
SHOBHA SHUKLA, BOBBY RAMAKANT - CNS
Mayors and sub-national leaders of over 80 cities of 12 countries in Asia Pacific resolve towards ending tobacco, TB, and preventing NCDs
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Tobacco use is among the unhealthy behaviours that result in preventable burden of cancers, strokes, and heart diseases, said Budi Gunadi Sadikin, Indonesia's health minister. In Indonesia tobacco use is the second largest risk factor for untimely deaths, he added. World Health Organization had earlier underlined that without clamping tobacco use, we cannot deliver on the promises enshrined in the Sustainable Development Goals.
Indonesia has walked the talk on building a grounds-up movement against tobacco. In 2011, twelve mayors had come together to forge a Mayors' Alliance to advance tobacco control in their respective cities. Today in 2022, there are over 150 mayors of different Indonesian cities that are part of this alliance, who are adapting as well as enforcing local laws to reduce tobacco use, said Dr Bima Arya Sugiarto, Co-Chair of Asia Pacific Cities Alliance for Health and Development (APCAT) and Mayor of Bogor City in Indonesia. "Mayors' Alliance has been the main driver for banning tobacco advertising and promotion, as well as preventing tobacco industry interference in public policy," he said.
Both were speaking at the opening ceremony of 7th Asia Pacific Summit of Mayors (7th APCAT Summit or #APCAT2022) being held in Bali, Indonesia.
Another sterling example of grounds-up tobacco-control movement in Indonesia is the fact that "as of November 2022, over 300 cities have adopted the local smokefree laws," said Dr Bima Arya.
That is why Indonesian health minister called for stronger partnerships "to reduce tobacco use" and "expand the on-the-ground effective programmes for tobacco control."
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