"Today, the key issue concerning first-time or teenage smokers is how we can protect our children, especially from e-cigarettes," the ministry's Director of Non-Communicable Disease Prevention and Control, Siti Nadia Tarmizi, stated during the "Soft Launch RAW: Resilient, Awesome, and Wise" event here on Wednesday.
Tarmizi noted that tobacco companies are aggressively promoting e-cigarettes to youth by highlighting the variety of flavors, making them more appealing than conventional cigarettes.
"Electronic cigarettes have more flavors than conventional ones, making them easier to promote to young people," she pointed out.
Meanwhile, Head of the Tobacco-Related Disease Control Working Group (PPAT), Benget Saragih, stressed the need for a more positive approach to promoting healthy lifestyles among youth to help reduce smoking prevalence in Indonesia.
"The approach needs to change. Instead of saying that smoking is dangerous, we should promote the idea that living a healthy life is important. Be active, exercise, eat healthy, and do not smoke," he remarked.
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Saragih also emphasized that efforts to educate youth about the risks of smoking require a shift in strategy.
"If we prohibit it, they tend to rebel. We need to change the approach. We encourage them to live healthily by not smoking, not consuming alcohol, and increasing awareness within their families and communities," he elaborated.
He further stressed the importance of continuing anti-smoking campaigns, especially as Indonesia faces a demographic bonus.
"We are aiming for a Golden Indonesia in 2045. However, if we do not take action now with today’s young people, what we will face is a 'concerning Indonesia,'" Saragih stated.
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Translator: Anita, Kenzu
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
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