From 5 to 7 December, the IAKMI (Ikatan Ahli Kesehatan Masyarakat Indonesia) or Indonesian Public Health Association with the support of SEATCA conducted a workshop to strengthen tobacco control policies in Indonesia and empower the local IAKMI Chapters.

The workshop aims to address the tobacco epidemic in Indonesia through different policies that adhere to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), dicuss how the tobacco industry interfere in public health and fiscal policies and ways to counter their tactics. 

The second day of the workshop was devoted solely on steps to take in becoming a smoke-free city and issues such as compliance and enforcement which are very crucial were discussed. Case studies on smoke-free cities like Davao City in the Philippines were also presented and looked closely. SEATCA’s Smoke-free Program Manager, Dr. Domilyn Villareiz was the resource speaker.

Accessing and utilizing local cigarette tax funds and developing a workable plan of action using local budget were also tackled during the workshop.

11 cities/provinces were represented in the workshop by IAKMI focal persons.