TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The city of Yogyakarta will soon introduce a bylaw to regulate smoke-free areas in a bid to control tobacco smoking.
“We have received the outcome of the deliberations at the special committee. It will be processed to be passed in the plenary,” Yogyakarta City Council speaker Sujanarko said yesterday in Yogyakarta.
He expects the draft bylaw to be passed early next week or at least at the end of January.
Sujanarko expects that afterward Yogyakarta administration could set up a regulation to elaborate the bylaw.
“Actually, a mayoral regulation on smoke-free areas is already in place. [The bylaw] may be synchronized with the contents of the regulation,” he said.
Meanwhile, Dwi Budi Utomo, deputy chairman of the special committee for smoke-free area draft bylaw, said that there were no significant differences between the mayoral regulation and the draft bylaw.
“However, the bylaw will regulate the sanctions. The mayoral regulation does not mention any sanction,” he said.
Smoke-free areas referred to in the draft bylaw include health centers, educational premises, houses of prayer, sports facilities, working areas, public spaces and public transport. Smoking, cigarette promotion and sales will be banned in the areas.
He explained that the bylaw is not aimed at barring people from smoking. It will allow them to smoke in designated areas instead.
“Therefore, the bylaw will require the establishment of smoking areas or rooms. For example, in public spaces, such as stations and terminals, offices, and shopping centers,” he said.
ANTARA
