"Spending on cigarettes can exceed spending on rice in households. This is why the government is re-regulating the use of cigarettes and electronic cigarettes," said Hanifah Rogayah, a member of the ministry’s Pulmonary, Brain, and Cardiovascular Working Group, during a public discussion Wednesday.
Rogayah said smoking is not only a major health risk but also undermines the development of human resources.
She highlighted the country's high prevalence of smoking among youth. According to the 2018 Basic Health Research survey (Riskesdas), 7.4 percent of Indonesians aged 10–18 smoke, while the total number of smokers aged 15 and older has reached 63 million.
"Children and adolescents do not yet have the ability to make decisions independently. The state must protect them from exposure to tobacco products," she stressed.
As part of these protective measures, the government is drafting a health ministerial regulation requiring standardized plain packaging for all tobacco products.
At the same event, the Tobacco Control Support Center of the Indonesian Public Health Association (TCSC IAKMI) called on the ministry to enforce the policy strictly.
"The Ministry of Health must be firm in controlling tobacco, including through standardized packaging," said TCSC IAKMI chair Sumarjati Arjoso.
The center cited a survey of 345 respondents in five provinces, including Jakarta and Bali, showing 76.2 percent supported plain packaging without logos, while 77.1 percent agreed that standardized packs with health warnings could reduce smoking’s appeal, particularly among youth.
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Translator: Tri Meilani, Raka Adji
Editor: Anton Santoso
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