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“As long as it’s not smoked, go on!” that would be my answer for the question above. The tobacco case in Indonesia is something I put concern in. Simply because I am a victim of the uninformed-careless-action done by my surrounding. I am or I was a smoker, passive one, and I have experienced difficulties in my youth because my lungs got problematic.
My dad is a real active smoker and never cares about where he smokes and what might cause by his action. And so are the Indonesian people. I have this experience of attending a cultural religious meeting in the village where I live, make it simple, it was a kenduri. I was a pretty early one there and I could choose where I want to take a seat. So I took the outdoor one in order to avoid the smokes these careless people breathed. They insisted me to sit indoor, and told me to sit next to the door after I explained the reason why I chose outdoor. But still, those people breathed smokes in my face. I went home pretty red and sick that night. I mean, after I explained that I cannot stand the smokes of tobacco, they still did smoke and breathed the smokes carelessly unto me!
And then now there’s an issue of tobacco cigar banning. Oh please I’d love that. But the industrial people don’t and lots of farmers’ lives are at stake on this policy of tobacco cigar banning. Are they?
I have thoughts about this problem for years since I was informed that there is this term called passive smokers. Before I can explain about my solution of this complex problem, let’s breakdown what are the problems why tobacco cigar is that hard to be banned.
1. Tax and Income for the government
I am sure that the willingness of banning tobacco cigar was actually there since long time ago in this republic. But the tax income from cigar is respectably huge and cannot be ignored for such developing country like Indonesia. I believe that some government people think that cigar is an account of asset in the government’s balance sheet. Funny because I thought the tax put into a cylinder of tobacco cigar was purposed to reduce the willingness of people in consuming it. To be underlined, the government put policy for people not to smoke while they still expect people to do it.
Okay then, there is one way to make both things worked! Increase the tax into irrational number! Let say, make a cigar which price is around five hundred Rupiah to be three thousand Rupiah or more. The government got the income from the tobacco tax, the society got the impact in reducing their priority of buying cigars for the expensive price. I don’t know why the government never did this policy. Tell us if you do know!
2. The addicts matter
The number of active smoker, or lets call it nicotine addict, in Indonesia is respectable. Data from nusantaranews.wordpress.com mention that in 2009 the number of addicts in Indonesia has reached approximately 65 million, or 28%. And most of them are men, which we know, still are the major gender who work and have influences to the system in Indonesia. How can a person who is psychologically not wanting in stop consuming nicotine through tobacco approves the policy that makes him cannot do his hobby…
3. The social mindset about tobacco
Back to the mindset matter. The social mindset of smoking activity is really complex. But everything is started from the culture of mindset that was formed by the Indonesian environment. I’ll just quote an opinion I have heard from TV, “Indonesia is a heaven for smokers, and a hell in the same time for those who do not smoke!” This is a very true and strong statement of Indonesian condition that is so lack of awareness. Most of Indonesians were raised to say that it is fine to smoke around them, and is rude to complain. Oh, I am living in stupid culture that been cared so much by the addicts. (Honestly I’m in rage while writing this remembering my experience of telling people to not smoke in a room full of non smoker but they do not listen. I am so dead being patience to not tell who they are and where they are from for how much I hate them.)
Now, tell me when a classmate started to light his cigar and blows the smoke right on your face with I’m-the-man-expression. Those smokers who ever did that to me and read this, I hate that and I’ve been strongly holding myself from not slapping yer face. I don’t care if I already know you for years and said, we’re friends.
We really need to change that way of thinking. These people are not civilized people! Not at all!
4. The religious side
Just for muslim, cause I don’t know about other religions’ policy (yeah, this is a policy in Islam) for smoking cigar, weed, or whatever. Just from my previous statement, do you think that the MUI is a representative of the God who can use their logic about God rule of what is haraam and not? Ask yourself, is cigar haraam or not? I think you will find yourself answering it just like how you answer, is your routine of masturbation activity is haaram or not? What do you think about watching porns? What about lying? Those are clear examples of what is haraam activity, but you were so given what so called intelligence and so much validation you made in your mind about what you did. But the rules have been declared 15 centuries ago and still we reject to make them the norms in our lives. You don’t need the MUI to declare cigar is haraam or a routine masturbation helps you control your cock from wanting pussy. (Dammit! I’m dirty!) You know which one is right, which one is wrong. Grey areas never really exist. Those are in the black with lots of reasoning you made.
5. The lives of tobacco and clove (cengkeh, Bahasa) farmers
The nature of the farmers is always out of my logic. What makes it so hard for them from not planting tobacco? When cigar is a no more allowed commodity, the price of tobacco will be drop by the demand of it that decreasing. And that way, those former smokers will have extra cash to be spent on other commodities. Weeds for an instance =P. I don’t see any real efforts from those in position to figure out what can be the substitute from planting tobacco and has a better effect to the social and environment.
And the option of doing export! I am sure the world would pay for both clove and tobacco from Indonesia land with high price. The world is always a promising market remembering the food crisis and the demand on herbs and spices that always high. Let’s support for spicier taste of world food!
6. The cultural aspect
Some people use cigar to neutralize the social awkwardness. And it works! But only when both parties are smokers or those who do not mind being passive smokers. Too bad for me, there are some conditions that forced you in being an idiotic polite being. Have you ever try rejecting cigar or breathing other’s smoke when the ones who smokes are culturally higher than you. Your grandfather for example. Most of the time I did that, they went nuts and mad. Knowing they are wrong but too ashamed to admit that they have been wrong to others for years or even decades.
Now I don’t know what would be my solution to the problem after I break it down my way. Well, I’ll just leave some messages and share my perspective about the culture of tobacco smoking. First, not everyone in this country feels okay for you to smoke around. Most of them are people below 35 years old. Smoke is poison to human body and THAT IS SICKENING THOSE WHO BREATH IT!!!
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Originally posted here, April 2010
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