Indonesia Plans to Tighten Smoking Regulations for Children

The Indonesian government is planning to tighten its relatively lenient smoking regulations in order to stem the increasing number of children smoking in the country. Under a proposed new law, the Indonesian Ministry of Health is seeking to control the promotion and packaging of e-cigarettes, which have been unregulated since their legalization in 2018. The Ministry also aims to increase the size of the graphic health warnings on tobacco packaging from 40% to 90%, ban tobacco product advertising, sponsorship, and promotions, and prohibit the sale of single cigarettes.

Photo credit: AFP/VNA

The Director of Health Promotion and Community Empowerment, Imran Agus Nurali, stated during a webinar on August 11th that the number of underage smokers is continuously increasing every year, especially since the legalization of e-cigarettes.

He emphasized the need for stronger measures to reduce tobacco consumption in order to protect future generations from the harmful effects of smoking. He added that a ban on tobacco advertising, sponsorship, and promotion is also crucial, as the 2019 Global Youth Tobacco Survey found that approximately 65% of Indonesian children are exposed to tobacco advertisements through television, point-of-sale advertising, and billboards.

Indonesia is the only country in Southeast Asia that still allows tobacco advertising on television and in print media. In addition to revising current tobacco regulations, the government plans to further increase cigarette taxes next year. Earlier this year, the Ministry of Finance increased tobacco taxes by 12%, leading to an average price increase of 35%. According to the Ministry of Health, tobacco causes approximately 290,000 deaths every year in the country.

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