Sporting Events in Indonesia Free of Tobacco Advertising
Published on December 13th, 2011 00:00
From now on all sporting events in Indonesia should be free of tobacco advertising or any sponsorship, following the recent example set by Southeast Asian Games. Mia Hanafiah, the chief manager of the National Commission on Tobacco Control, stated that it was something normal for tobacco companies to sponsor various sports events; such practice she stated needed to end. “You can’t compare such things as sport and tobacco, so we are trying to eradicate such things,” she stated.
Komnas PT is planning to do this, she stated, by prompting for legislation prohibiting any tobacco advertising and sponsorship at sports events. The legislation under discussion is a supporting regulation for the 2009 Health Law, which was expected to be adopted in October 2010 but is still being drafted. Mia declared that once passed, the legislation would “control tobacco in a more minute way”.
“This includes particular places that should be free from smoking and any cigarette advertisements. We want our government to treat tobacco cases in the same way it does with alcohol products. All addictive substance should not be advertised not for any reason whatsoever,” Mia said. She admitted, however, that a full ban on tobacco advertising was too thirsty objective for now. Komnas PT will pay attention on prohibiting advertising in public places where children and teenagers can be exposed to tobacco company’s tricks often observed near schools and mosques, Mia said.“We call the government to prohibit tobacco companies to sponsor sport events. We want sport without tobacco,” she said.
A member of the Komnas PT, Arifin Panigoro stated the advised ban should not frighten sportsmen and their administrators that the given regulation will leave them without main sponsors. He declared that there were an increasing number of non-tobacco companies interested to sponsor sport events. “And they do not want to be put hand by hand with tobacco companies.”
Afansa Moeloek, the Komnas PT president, repeated the same sentiment, declaring Indonesia had demonstrated through its successful hosting of the Southeast Asian Games that it could conduct a great sporting event without any involvement from cigarette companies.
At the Komnas PT press conference that was held these days participated two members of the Indonesian football team who won the silver medal at the Games and both of who are non-smokers. The players states that they are in favor of such program and also want to exclude smoking from sport. They declared that they would refuse any advertising from tobacco companies.“Even if they would offer Rp 10 billion,” Titus said.
