In a statement released in Jakarta on Saturday, CHED head Roosita Meilani Dewi said that the Draft Regional Regulation (Raperda) on Smoke-Free Zones (KTR), which is currently being deliberated by Jakarta’s Regional House of Representatives (DPRD), is supported by a strong legal foundation.
“This is a tangible form of implementing the right to a healthy life, as enshrined in Article 28 of the 1945 Constitution, and reinforced by Government Regulation No. 28 of 2024, which strictly prohibits the sale of cigarettes to individuals under 21 years old,” she added.
She then addressed concerns raised by some parties that the smoke-free zone policy would hurt the local economy by citing official financial data from Jakarta.
In the decade since the imposition of the cigarette advertising ban under Governor Regulation No. 1 of 2015, billboard tax revenue has remained stable and even increased.
It climbed from Rp714.9 billion in 2015 to Rp961.3 billion in 2024, peaking at Rp1.095 trillion in 2022.
“These facts debunk the narrative that cigarette promotion is necessary to boost regional original revenue (PAD),” Dewi explained.
“In contrast, cigarettes are the second-largest household expenditure among the poor after rice, averaging Rp79,226 per month (Susenas 2019), showing the financial burden borne by families,” she added.
Support for the regulation also came from the Indonesian Child Protection Agency (LPAI).
LPAI secretary general Titik Suharyati said that the smoke-free policy is a long-term investment to protect children’s health.
“This regulation plays a vital role in curbing the increasing number of child smokers, which has become more alarming year after year,” she added.
With supporting data, public backing, and field evidence, the discussion on the 2025 Smoke-Free Zone Draft Regulation is expected to mark a turning point for Jakarta in becoming a model city for tobacco control in Indonesia.
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Translator: Primayanti
Editor: Aditya Eko Sigit Wicaksono
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