Indonesia has a large tobacco market. As a matter of fact it is the fifth largest tobacco market in the world. There are several major tobacco companies in Indonesia and the four largest companies comprise 70% of the total market share. There are smoking laws in place in Indonesia but the majority of the population blatantly ignores these rules. E Cigarettes can be found in Indonesia but they are considered illegal.
Smoking Ban in Indonesia
Indonesia does have a smoking ban but they are one of the few countries that has not signed or ratified the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Indonesian national law prohibits anyone from smoking in such public places as on public transportation, children’s playgrounds and educational facilities, hospitals and other health care facilities, and in places of worship. Other public places and worksites are allowed to have a designated smoking area. Indonesian law states that each local government is to pass laws regarding the national health law’s smoke-free provisions. There were no deadlines in place from the country so some municipalities have put these laws in place and others have not.
The typical cigarette advertisement in Indonesia portrays men as being manlier if they smoke. Legislation has ruled to restrict these advertisements so they cannot show cigarettes, anyone smoking cigarettes or a pack of cigarettes. Advertisements for cigarettes on television and radio are restricted to playing between the hours of 9:30pm and 5:00am local time.
Indonesian cigarette packages are only required to show one warning label which is located on the back of the pack. The warning is as follows: “smoking can cause cancer, heart attacks, impotence, and disturbances to pregnancy and fetal development.” There is very little tax on tobacco products in Indonesia as compared to the rest of the world. The taxes are well below the rate recommended by the World Bank which is 65% to 80% of the retail price.
Who Regulates Smoking Bans in Indonesia?
The smoking bans have been in place in Indonesia for over a decade. In this time the laws have never been enforced and the Indonesian people have just learned to ignore them. Each local government should be regulating the amount of offenders and impose fines and other charges but it is not happening. Only one municipality in Indonesia has managed to become completely smoke free and this is because the law encourages everyone to work together. This ban was accepted because cultural and emotional concerns were taken into consideration and the people in this town were respected.
How Many Smokers are there in Indonesia?
Many Indonesians smoke. Approximately 63% of all men smoke and only 5% of women smoke. The reason for the low amount of female smokers is because female smokers are thought of as prostitutes. In children aged 13 to 15, 24% of the boys smoke and 2% of the girls smoke. Up to 30% of all Indonesian doctors smoke. 88% of all Indonesian smokers enjoy kreteks which are clove flavored cigarettes.
In recent years Indonesia has seen an influx of young children smoking. It is estimated that there has been a 900% increase in children under the age of ten who smoke in Indonesia. This has been attributed to the lack of tobacco regulation enforcement throughout the country.
In 1969 Indonesian smokers normally consumed approximately 469 cigarettes or kreteks per year. Currently that number has increased to almost triple the original number. This increase has caused smoking related deaths in Indonesia to account for almost 50% of the deaths in this country.
The blatant disregard for any anti-smoking laws that have been set forth by the Indonesian government tells us that the average Indonesian smoker does not agree with the laws. The fact that these smokers are allowed to continue smoking in public areas is a clue that the local law enforcement personnel don’t agree with the laws either.
The E Cigarette in Indonesia
One would think with the high death rate and enormous amount of children smokers in this country the invention of the E Cigarette would be a blessing. In fact it’s just the opposite. The Food and Drug Monitoring Agency has warned the Indonesian people that E Cigarettes could be more dangerous than regular cigarettes. E-cigs are illegal in Indonesia but many of the vendors have purchased mass quantities of them over the internet and are selling them in their shops. Healthcare workers believe this smoking alternative is poison.
E Cigarettes are illegal in Indonesia but they have not been classified as cigarettes or drugs. The main concern of the e-cig is that the solution contains 1% nicotine and propylene glycol or glycerin. The belief is that using the e-cig may lead to an uncontrolled amount of nicotine in the body and could cause nicotine poisoning.
Indonesia has the fifth largest tobacco market in the world. This is possibly because the taxes are unbelievably low and the regulations on smoking are not enforced. Furthermore, educational facilities are making special provisions for their students who smoke. While it seems the e-cig has been helpful in helping people to stop smoking, Indonesian government has banned this product in their country stating it is poison.