Jakarta Drafting Stricter Rules to Curb Smoking in Public

Jakarta's city administration is drafting a new regulation to tighten restrictions on smoking in public spaces to protect the public, especially vulnerable groups like children and pregnant women, from the harmful effects.

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JAKARTA -

Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung said the main goal is to restrict smoking in crowded public spaces, such as office buildings and shopping malls.

"We are not imposing a total ban on smoking in these establishments, but we will provide designated smoking areas," he added on June 12. He noted that city councillors had endorsed a plan to extend smoking restrictions to entertainment venues, including karaoke lounges, nightclubs and live music cafes.

The governor pointed out that a similar regulation was implemented successfully in major cities such as Tokyo and Seoul.

"These policies have proven effective in creating cleaner and healthier public spaces and in minimizing the harmful effects of second-hand smoke on nonsmokers," he said.