By Andi Abdussalam
Jakarta, Aug 28 (ANTARA) - Smoking in the history of mankind is a habit that has existed since time immemorial. Since then, pros and cons have emerged not only because smoking is harmful to human health and disturbs non-smokers but also because it is commercially profitable to many parties. The Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) is planning to declare smoking is unlawful based on the Islamic law.
Despite the pros and cons, smoking has spurred people to develop its commercial aspect, the result of which shows tremendous growth in cigarettes industries in every part of the world that provides prosperity.
In the early stage, no one could really enjoy the taste of a cigarette. But why do people try it again and again until they are addicted?
"Smocking is a symbol of manhood and a means of social intercourse," said 40-year old Hasan who has tried to stop smoking several times but failed.
Others say that smoking is good for killing time, reducing tension, making friends or even for seeking inspiration, for writers for example.
"I began smoking at the age of 15 when I mixed with peers among whom cigarette consumption was a normal thing. But I have tried, to no avail, to stop smoking now because it is not good for health," Hasan said.
Ovide Pomerleau of the University of Michigan's Medical School, whose research appears in the journal Addiction said smoking even one cigarette is a bad idea. "It's a trap," he was quoted as saying by the Xinhuanet recently.
"What they don't realize is if they have this kind of genetic make-up, they are on their way to dependency," he said, and that raises their risk for lung cancer. He was referring to a gene type that not only increases the addiction risk, but also has been implicated in the development of lung cancer.
Teams of scientists reported earlier this year that smokers who had certain changes in three nicotine receptor genes - which control entry of nicotine into brain cells - were more likely to develop lung cancer than other smokers.
Campaigns on the negative effects of smoking such as the growth of lung cancer have been launched since a long time ago.
In the 1980s, physicians of a Royal College in Britain found that 90 percent of deaths from lung cancer were attributed to smoking.
At that time the Duke of Gloucester, Patron of Action on Smoking and Health told the House of Lords in a debate that of 1,000 young people who smoked a pack of cigarettes a day, 250 would die prematurely from smoking induced diseases.
If fifty percent of Indonesia's 228 million people are young smokers, about 28.5 million out of them would, if the assumption above is true, become victims of premature deaths
This is because the human body is not designed to absorb chemicals inhaled through the respiratory system.
Besides, smoke that belches out of smokers' nostrils could be inhaled by non-smokers, thus disturbing them and turning them into 'passive' smokers, threatening their health. Thus, smoking disturbs the public.
That's why, the Jakarta city administration under then-Governor Sutiyoso last year banned smoking in public places in the capital city. However, the ruling seems to be ineffective and is not being enforced consistently under tight supervision.
People still smoke freely in public places such as on public buses, at railway stations, bus terminals and in government offices.
A public controversy on whether or not smoking should be banned arose recently following a plan by the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) to issue a `fatwa' (edict) that smoking is prohibited under Islamic law.
While tobacco and cigarette producers raised their objections, Health Minister Siti Fadilah Supari supported the MUI's plan to declare smoking haram (forbidden for Muslims to do or consume).
"I am glad to hear about the MUI plan, and I support it," Supari said after a visit to a relative's grave at the Giriloyo public cemetery in Magelang Saturday.
Yet, Religious Affairs Minister Maftuh Basyuni doubted the effectiveness of a ban on smoking the MUI was planning to issue.
"It is better to prioritize efforts to promote public awareness about the dangers of nicotine because many MUI fatwas have been issued before but remained unimplemented," the minister said on Monday.
To tobacconists and cigarette makers, a big number of smokers in a country means a big potential market. Indonesia which has a population of about 228 million is a potential market for cigarette industries.
If each of fifty percent of the country's 228 million smokes a pack of cigarettes a day, cigarette industries would be able to put 114 million packs of cigarettes on the market a day.
Reducing the number of cigarette consumers would threaten tobacco/cigarette producers and millions of people whose livelihood depends on the industries.
Besides, the government should also downsize its revenue target from cigarette taxes which it set this year at Rp46.5 trillion.
So far, cigarette industries have continued to grow in the country. Indonesia's cigarette production in 2005 was recorded at 221.1 billion pieces. It rose to 240 billion pieces in 2006 and in 2009 it is planned to increase to 260 billion pieces.
The increase in cigarette production also raised state income from cigarette taxes which in 2006 stood at Rp37 trillion and in 2007 increased to Rp42 trillion.
This year the government's tax target from cigarette excise tapes is set at Rp46.5 trillion. (T.A014/A/HAJM/21:20/a014) 28-08-2008 21:25:33
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