Over 80 pct of RI`s smokers are under 19

"In accordance with data issued by Indonesia Tobacco Control Network (ITCN), the proportion of young smokers continues to increase, followed by even younger smokers of 5-9 yeas old in which the percentage was up from 0.4 percent in 2001 to 1.8 percent in 2004," Prof Dr Veni Hadju, PhD, dean of the public health school of Hasanuddin University in Makassar said on Monday.

Prof Veni made the remarks on the sidelines of a "Leadership and Management for Tobacco Control" evaluation which was conducted by the Indonesian Tobacco Impact Control Networks here.

The condition causes great concern because the teenagers have become the main target of future addicted cigarette smokers.

In the meantime, it is hard for the nicotine-addicted generation to stop smoking. Cigarette contains 4,000 hazardous chemicals which cause damage to the human body and wasting money.

Another contradictive phenomenon is that the smoking cost of of poor people is higher than those of rich ones, Veni said, adding that based on ITCN`S survey, poor people spent 11 percent of their monthly earnings on smoking, while the haves only 9.7 percent.

On the other hand ...