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View all search resultsTarumanagara University faced harsh rhetoric from city officials conducting anti-smoking raids Thursday, despite having prepared for them by providing designated smoking rooms around its campus in Grogol, West Jakarta
arumanagara University faced harsh rhetoric from city officials conducting anti-smoking raids Thursday, despite having prepared for them by providing designated smoking rooms around its campus in Grogol, West Jakarta.
Yusiono Anwar Supalal, head of the West Jakarta Environmental Management Board (BPLHD), said a 2005 bylaw on air pollution reduction clearly prohibited smoking in schools and campuses.
"The university management must forbid its teachers and students from smoking around the campus. Students or teachers can warn people not to smoke on campus," he said.
Yusiono was speaking on the second day of anti-smoking raids conducted by officers from BPLHD, municipal agencies and NGOs.
Prabowo, head of the university's presidency office, said the campus management was not aware of the regulation.
"We thought it was the right thing to do to provide smoking rooms for smokers here, but it turned out to be the wrong move," he said, adding the management had since closed down the rooms.
Thursday's raids in West Jakarta also took in Grogol bus terminal, Ciputra Mall, Ciputra Hotel, Royal Taruma Hospital, Petojo Protestant Church and the Plaza Toyota office building.
The bus terminal netted the most violators, with 16 smokers caught, followed by Ciputra Mall and Tarumanagara University with two smokers each and Royal Taruma Hospital with one.
At the university, a visitor and an employee were the only ones caught out, after the students were warned earlier about the raid.
The spot raids, which will end on Nov. 27, target smokers flouting the bylaw on smoking in public areas such as office buildings, medical centers, schools, places of worship, playgrounds, public transportation and shopping centers.
Smoking is strictly prohibited in and around medical centers, schools and universities, places of worship, public transportation and playgrounds.
Those caught violating the regulation face up to six months in jail or a Rp 50 million (US$4,555) fine.
Despite being issued only three years ago, the bylaw is widely criticized as unworkable and has not been enforced.
Smokers, especially those caught smoking in restricted areas, plead ignorance of the bylaw, citing the lack of information or campaigns to promote it.
Many have even been spotted smoking after getting caught in the raids.
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