1,142 Areas in Depok Designated as Smoke-Free Zones by Health Agency

The Depok government in Indonesia has introduced seven non-smoking areas (KTR) in their efforts to protect the public from cigarette smoke and tobacco advertisements. The regional government has established KTRs in health service facilities, schools, children’s playgrounds, places of worship, public transport, offices, and public places. The aim of the non-smoking areas is to help reduce the morbidity and mortality rate caused by smoking, according to the head of the city’s public health service unit, Zakiah. The move is the government’s effort towards the tobacco and death control strategy recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO). WHO’s predictions suggest diseases caused by smoking will pose a significant public health problem on a global scale due to the increasing number of smokers. Depok Health Agency has already implemented 1142 smoke-free zones, which includes 832 places of worship, 195 educational facilities, 60 offices, 31 children’s playgrounds, 11 public transportation, eight tourist attractions, and five markets.