Govt Urged to Ban Cigarette Advertisements

Jakarta (Antara) - The National Commission on Child Rights has urged the government to ban cigarette advertisements due to their negative impact on the country's younger generation. "Cigarette advertisements could actually be categorized as violating Indonesian children's rights because they encourage children and teenagers to become first smokers. So, they must not only be restricted but completely banned," the commission's chief, Arist Merdeka Sirait, said here on Thursday in connection with the commemoration of the World No Tobacco Day 2013. He said cigarette companies' best strategy to market their product is by presenting advertisements quoting terms popular among the youths to lead them become first smokers. "So, the advertisements lead youths and teens to become smokers to replace their seniors who have been old or even died due to cigarette smoking," he said. He said based on a quick survey done by the commission 93 percent of 10,000 teenagers in Indonesia start smoking because of advertisements on television, 50 percent because of outdoor advertisements and 33 percent because of musical events sponsored by cigarette companies. "The image built by the ads is that smoking a cigarette is a normal thing and cigarette is also a common product," he said. "The idea is confirmed by cigarette companies' statement that teens are their target," he said. (*)