Maximizing Tobacco Product Potential to Reduce Smoking in Indonesia

According to a report by Antaranews on April 1st, the Indonesian E-cigarette Retail Association (Asosiasi Ritel Vape Indonesia) has called on the government to maximize the potential of its tobacco products in order to reduce the number of smokers in Indonesia. Statistics show that from 1995 to 2018, the prevalence of smoking in Indonesia has surged to 36.3%, with approximately 69.1 million people.

The president of the association, Arvindo Fachmi Kurnia Firmansyah, stated that e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products are a more effective choice for adult smokers. In February 2024, a study from the University of Bern published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that the use of alternative tobacco products had a 21% impact on successful smoking cessation. Among those who used alternative tobacco products, the success rate of quitting smoking reached 53%. In contrast, the success rate of quitting smoking was only 32% among those who did not fully utilize alternative tobacco products.

Currently, England and Sweden have successfully reduced the number of smokers by supporting the use of alternative tobacco products. According to a report from the UK's Office for National Statistics, the smoking rate in the UK in 2022 was 12.9%, approximately 6.4 million people, a decrease of 200,000 from 13.3% in 2021. Sweden, as the first smoke-free country in Europe, has a smoking rate of only 5.16%, significantly lower compared to 11% in 2015.

Alex Wodak, former director of alcohol and drug services at St. Vincent's Hospital in Australia, suggests that people can reduce the risks of smoking by using alternative tobacco products and practicing the concept of harm reduction.