Indonesia plans to tighten rules to curb underage smoking
The Indonesian Government is planning to tighten its relatively lax regulations on smoking in a bid to curb the increasing number of child smokers in the country.
An underage smoker at a park in Jakarta, Indonesia (Photo: AFP/VNA)
Jakarta (VNA)– The Indonesian Governmentis planning to tighten its relatively lax regulations on smoking in a bid tocurb the increasing number of child smokers in the country.
Undera planned new regulation, the Health Ministry of Indonesia is looking tocontrol the promotion and packaging of e-cigarettes, which have remainedunregulated since their legalisation in 2018.
The ministry is also seeking toincrease the size of graphic health warnings on tobacco packaging from 40% to90%, ban the advertising, sponsorship and promotion of tobacco products, andprohibit the sale of single cigarettes.
Thenumber of underage smokers continues to increase each year, especially since thelegalisation of e-cigarettes, Imran Agus Nurali, the ministry’s director ofhealth promotion and community empowerment, told a webinar on August 11.
Hestressed the need for stronger measures to reduce tobacco consumption toprotect future generations from the impact of smoking.
Banningthe advertising, sponsorship and promotion of tobacco products is also crucialas according to the 2019 Global Youth Tobacco Survey, around 65% of Indonesia’schildren are exposed to tobacco ads through television, point-of-saleadvertising, and billboards, he added.
Indonesiais the only country in Southeast Asia that still allows cigarette advertising ontelevision and printed media.
Asidefrom revising the prevailing tobacco regulation, the government is alsoplanning to further increase the cigarette excise tax next year.
Earlier this year, the FinanceMinistry raised tobacco excise by 12%, leading to an average 35% increase incigarette prices.
Accordingto the Health Ministry, tobacco kills around 290,000 people in the country eachyear./.
The Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) has applauded Indonesia for its move to block online cigarette advertising, as an attempt to protect young people from being exposed to tobacco, and urged other countries to follow suit.
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An underage smoker at a park in Jakarta, Indonesia (Photo: AFP/VNA) 
