Health Bill to Put Cigarettes and Narcotics in the Same Category

VIVA – The draft Health Bill plans to put tobacco products with narcotics and psychotropic substances as addictive substances in the same category. This is considered to cause a new controversy. 

This plan is considered can cause the actors of the tobacco products industry, ranging from farmers, workers, traders, to consumers may face legal consequences if this bill is passed by containing articles related to this matter.

According to a sociologist of Sebelas Maret University (UNS), Aris Arif Mundayat explained this bill could cut the constitutional rights of tobacco business actors to consumers of tobacco products.

He stated that consumers and tobbaco products unprotected constitutionally, "Even tobacco farmers can lose tobacco commodities if they are perceived as the same as drugs by law enforcement. Constitutional protection should be clear and firm. So, no one feel loss," he explained, as quoted in a written statement on Saturday.

Referring to the draft Health Bill, article 154 paragraph (3) reads: addictive substances can be in the form of: a. narcotics; b. psychotropic substances; c. alcoholic beverages; d. tobacco products; and e. processing of other addictive substances. With these provisions, there will be legal consequences that will equalize the production and distribution processes of these types of addictive goods.

Then, for Tobacco Products Industry actors, this will certainly be very detrimental.

Instead of equalizing tobacco, which is a legal product with narcotics and psychotropic drugs, which are illegal products, Mundayat argues the Health Bill should be able to provide constitutional protection to the ecosystem of the tobacco products industry, including aspects of tobacco control not to be consumed by children under 18 years of age.

"The result can be bad for tobacco farmers. This bill should be able to provide constitutional protection to adult smokers and minors," he continued. 

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VIVA.co.id

3 Mei 2024