YOGYAKARTA – Legislation Board of House of Representatives is recommended to review the Draft Law on Control of Tobacco Product Impacts on Health because the contents of the draft is considered to be discriminative because the control is more based on the health aspect alone, it does not provide protection for tobacco farmers.
That emerged during a working visit made by the Legislation Board to Universitas Gadjah Mada on Friday (18/2). The Board members were, among others, Ahmad Dimyati Natakusumah (PPP faction), Didi Irawati Samsudin (PD), Teti Kadi Bawono (Golkar), Eko Sarjono Putro (Golkar), Hendratmo Pratikno (PDIP) and Sarifudin (Hanura).
Responding to the draft, Dean of Faculty of Agriculture, Prof. Ir. Triwibowo Yuwono, Ph.D assessed that control on tobacco products does not provide any protection for tobacco farmers, though it is mentioned that farmers will be given incentives if they are willing to change crops from tobacco to other plants. "Incentives should be clear and measurable, because, as I see it, the cost is quite small," said Triwibowo.
According to Triwibowo, if there is a regulation of tobacco plants, it should encourage farmers to plant food crops or biofuel plants considering that the majority of farmers are poor. If the revenue from the tobacco will no longer obtainable, it is feared that the farmers get pressured and get poorer.
Meanwhile, Dean of Faculty of Agricultural Technology UGM, Dr. Ir. Djagal Wiseso Marseno, M. Agr., disagreed if tobacco plant products are controlled or reduced. According to Djagal, many tobacco plants contain substances which need to be utilized for other products as anti-cancer and anti-oxidants.
In fact, tobacco substances can currently be used to treat lymphatic cancer. Even according to some lecturers at Faculty of Maths and Natural Sciences UGM, tobacco products are also used for perfume. "Removing tobacco is very unwise," he said.
Meanwhile a tobacco researcher from Faculty of Medicine UGM, Dra. Yayi Suryo Prabandari, M. Si, Ph.D., said that the draft law aims to protect the health of passive smokers. But she considered the current draft causes a polarity between aspect of health and the presence of tobacco farmers. "This draft should be able to help the poor to manage expenditure by raising the price of cigarettes," she said.
Participating also to provide inputs were Rector of UGM Prof. Ir. Sudjarwadi, M. Eng., Ph.D., Head of Center for Democratic Economy Studies Prof. Dr. Ir. San Afri Awang, M. Sc, and team from the Quit Tobacco Indonesia (QTI) of Faculty of Medicine UGM.