Indonesia Smoking Epidemic: Tobacco companies target youth in advertising

World
Europe

Indonesia has the highest percentage of male smokers, one of the top rates of child smokers also in the world. Anti-tobacco activists have long campaigned against cheap cigarette prices and advertising strategies in the country. But now more companies are using informal slogans in their ads to lure younger customers. CGTN's Silkina Ahluwalia takes a look at the consequences of that.

Citra Demi Karina has spent the past one year campaigning against tobacco companies luring young children through their advertising strategies.

Strategies that Citra says has shifted drastically in the past few years. As a result, Indonesia's younger generation are becoming more attracted to smoking from a young age as early as 10 years old.

CITRA DEMI KARINA, COMMUNITY ORGANIZER LENTERA ANAK FOUNDATION "We work with street vendors based near schools to encourage them to take down their cigarette banners. It is part of the Ministry of Education's new regulation to keep schools free of smoking; stopping selling cigarettes, promoting them and advertising them to underage children and teenagers."

Citra is one of the organizers of the Lentera Anak Foundation, an organization that holds campaigns in schools across the country, encouraging the local government to keep schools around their area smoke-free.

Today, she's speaking to high school students in West Java, a town where cigarette advertising are still allowed to be displayed.

And more than 80 percent of those advertisements highlight cheap cigarette prices, further tempting the youth to start smoking.

DENI SURJANTORO, HEAD OF COMMUNICATION DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF CUSTOMS AND EXCISE "We are definitely concerned to see how cheap cigarettes have made it easier for young people to start smoking. We are currently working with local NGOs to curb the consumption of cigarettes by the younger generation, through increasing tariffs and making it less affordable."

Deni says compared to countries like China, Thailand and Singapore, cigarette prices in Indonesia is already considered less affordable based on the country's purchasing power.

SILKINA AHLUWALIA JAKARTA, INDONESIA The National Commission on Tobacco Control revealed that nearly 250,000 people die every year because of tobacco-related diseases. That's around 600 people everyday, meaning Indonesia's smoking epidemic is worse than the country's narcotics problem.

Indonesia is still working to validate the World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Once it's recognized, there will be strict regulations on cigarette pricing, taxation and advertising.Silkina Ahluwalia, CGTN, Jakarta.