What should the Government do to Stop Epidemic of Smoking among Teenagers in Indonesia?

Abstract

Smoking epidemic has occurred among the Indonesian adolescents, as the nearly six out of ten the youth of ages 13 to 15 years smoke daily. In fact, Indonesia has also been known as "the country of smoking baby", as some family smokers have deliberately introduced the way of smoking to their toddlers. In Indonesia, the most new smokers has been ensnared by the tobacco industry, as they started to smoke when they were minors, which are in incapable condition to make rational decisions. In this context, moral question emerge: Is the government obligated to prevent teenagers from taking-up cigarettes, and what should the government do to stop the smoking epidemic among the adolescents in Indonesia? To answer these questions, this paper contain two main study: First, the author has conduct a survey to present an overview about the ensnarement of new smokers and the dilemma of the tobacco retailers in selling cigarettes to minors in Indonesia. Second, the author presents an overview of the negative impacts of tobacco on children and an obligation analysis of the government to prevent adolescents from taking-up cigarettes. It will then propose some approach to stop smoking epidemic among the adolescents in Indonesia.