GoAtjeh.com, Jakarta – The Ministry of Health said that the provision of control of tobacco products, especially retail cigarettes, is encouraged because the sale of these products is easily accessible to children and adolescents.
“Retail sales are very vulnerable because the products are easily accessible to novice smokers, children, and adolescents. We want to reduce the consumption rate,” Indah said as quoted by GoAtjeh,com, Saturday (04/08/2024).
Head of the Legal Bureau of the Indonesian Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) Indah Febrianti, S.H., M.H explained that the regulation of retail cigarette sales aims to reduce cigarette consumption. This is because the adverse effects of tobacco products can threaten health.
Based on data from the 2023 Indonesian Health Survey (SKI) conducted by the Ministry of Health, the number of active smokers is estimated to reach 70 million people, with 7.4 percent of them smokers aged 10-18 years.
Indah said that children and adolescents are the groups with the most significant increase in the number of smokers.
Based on data from the Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) in 2019, the prevalence of smokers in school children aged 13-15 years rose from 18.3 percent (2016) to 19.2 percent (2019).
“Meanwhile, SKI 2023 data shows that the 15-19 age group is the largest group of smokers (56.5 percent), followed by 10-14 years old (18.4 percent),” Indah said.
Indah also noted that e-cigarette use among adolescents has increased in the past 4 years. Based on data from the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) in 2021, the prevalence of e-cigarettes rose from 0.3 percent in 2019 to three percent in 2021.
Expectations from the New Rules
Director of Non-Communicable Disease Prevention and Control at the Ministry of Health, Siti Nadia Tarmizi, added that strict rules on the control of tobacco products, retail cigarettes, and electronic cigarettes are expected to reduce the prevalence of adolescent and novice smokers.
“The tobacco product control regulation in Government Regulation (PP) No. 28 of 2024 is an effort to change behavior,” Nadia said.
Nadia added, “Behavior change is not an instant result, but with this regulation we hope to reduce the prevalence of smoking, especially the increasing trend among teenagers and beginners.”
The purpose of securing addictive substances in the form of tobacco products and electronic cigarettes is also stated in Article 430 of the Health Regulation, which is to reduce morbidity and mortality due to the effects of smoking.
“Then increase public awareness and alertness to the dangers of smoking and the benefits of living without smoking, and protect from the dangers of consumption and / or exposure to addictive substances,” Nadia said.
Cigarette Advertising Restrictions
Several other rules related to tobacco product control in the Health PP that are highlighted, namely the inclusion of health warning images and texts regulated in Article 438 paragraph (4).
The article stipulates that the top of the package on the front and back sides must contain a health warning image covering 50 percent. This image must begin with the word “Warning” printed in yellow letters on a black background.
In addition, the image must be printed clearly and prominently, either partially or completely. The image must also be printed in color and must not be covered by anything. The Health PP also restricts advertising of tobacco products and electronic cigarettes.
As with outdoor media, advertisements may not be placed in smoke-free areas, including health facilities, places of teaching and learning, places where children play, places of worship, and public transportation.
Advertisements are also not placed on main roads and protocol roads, nor within a 500-meter radius outside education units and children’s playgrounds (Article 449 paragraph 1).
Outdoor advertising media in the form of videotrons can only be aired at 22:00-05:00 local time.
Article 451 paragraph (1) states that advertisements for tobacco products and electronic cigarettes in television media must be full screen in size for at least 10 percent of the total duration of the advertisement and not less than two seconds or the size of television and print media advertisements for at least 15 percent of the total advertising area.
Similar to the rules for cigarette advertisements on videotrons, advertisements on television and radio can only be aired or broadcast after 22:00-05:00 local time.
All advertisements must also meet requirements, including the words “Prohibited from selling and giving to persons under 21 years of age and pregnant women”.
In addition, advertisements must not be directed at children, adolescents, and/or pregnant women, and must not use cartoons or animation as advertising characters.[]
