Jakarta, Sept. 25 -- The Health Ministry has warned that smoking is a risk factor for non-communicable diseases such as heart disease and stroke, thus implementing various efforts to reduce the smoking rate in Indonesia.

"Smoking is actually a risk factor for all non-communicable diseases," said an official of the Health Ministry, Dhefi Ratnawati, at the launch of a public service announcement by the National Commission of Tobacco Control in Jakarta on Thursday.

She cited a number of diseases that are at risk of being caused by smoking, including cardiovascular disease or heart-related diseases, hypertension, and stroke.

"So, smoking is a risk factor, which means it's actually a priority," she added.

The government itself prioritizes ...