Jakarta – Tobacco industry lobbyists have urged President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to revise the draft government regulation (RPP) on tobacco control, saying that the president should take into account the opinions of all stakeholders before signing the draft.

Amid government efforts to control tobacco use, Indonesian Tobacco Growers Association (APTI) chairman Nurtanio Wisnu Brata said on Wednesday the draft had not accommodated the needs of those who opposed the planned regulation.

He cited the example of India, whose government involved all stakeholders in the process of drafting regulations on tobacco use in the country. "The Indonesian government should learn from India in creating tobacco regulations to avoid an ongoing polemic on the issue," Nurtanio said.

If the regulation turned out to be damaging to the welfare of tobacco farmers, Nurtanio continued, the APTI would boycott the government by refusing to participate in elections and refusing to pay taxes.

The issuance of the government regulation on tobacco is mandated by Law No. 36/2009 on health. However, three years after the passing of the law, the government has yet to issue the tobacco regulation.

Two key issues in the tobacco regulation are the inclusion of graphic health warnings on cigarette packets and the designation of smoke-free zones to protect non-smokers.

The recently published study shows that Indonesia has one of the world's largest populations of tobacco smokers. According to the "Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS): Indonesia Report 2011", 61.4 million Indonesians aged 15 years and over are active smokers.

Between 2001 and 2010, the prevalence of smokers with no schooling or only an elementary school education increased from 31 percent to 36 percent, the study found. Furthermore, the number young smokers aged between 10 and 14 years old doubled during the period.

Meanwhile, the prevalence of smokers with a university education remained at 25 percent. (han)