TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian Children Lantern Executive Director Hery Chariansyah said the majority of children who smoke were influenced by cigarette advertisements on television.

"Cigarette ads are massively promoting in broadcast media to attract young smokers," said Hery in a discussion at the Indonesian Cancer Foundation office, Thursday, July 4.

Hery believes that cigarette campaign on television and radio often associates smoking to the image of confidence, up-to-date, cool, esprit de corps, and manly. Hery claimed such images were a series of disseminated marketing messages that are systematic, tactical, and misleading.

The absence of regulation that bans cigarette ads in broadcast media has exposed children and teenagers to constant campaigns from the cigarette industry. The repetitive delivery made the message easier to remember by children and teenagers.

"Children are conditioned to accept cigarette as a common mean of representation of a desired image based on the commercials."

IRA GUSLINA SUFA