Vapeboss – Chairman of the Association of Indonesian White Cigarette Producers (Gaprindo) Benny Wahyudi emphasized that since its inception, his association has always strived to prevent the sale of cigarettes to children under 18 years of age. They have included a warning prohibiting the sale of cigarette products to children under 18 on every pack.

"Gaprindo is one hundred percent committed to not selling cigarettes to minors. We have been doing this since the 90s. We conduct outreach and education. Our commitment is strong," he said.

Benny explained that in addition to routinely socializing and educating retailers, they also often collaborate with retail associations to prohibit the sale of cigarettes to minors. As a result of these efforts, according to data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), the prevalence of child smokers has continued to decline in the last three years.

In 2021, the prevalence of smoking in children was 3.69 percent, lower than in 2020 and 2019, which were 3.81 percent and 3.87 percent, respectively.

"We also often collaborated with the government, such as the Ministry of Education and Culture and the Ministry of Health, to enforce this. However, since Covid-19, it has been somewhat hindered. But Gaprindo is always committed to not selling cigarettes to children under 18," Benny said.

In line with Gaprindo, the Indonesian Personal Vaporizer Association (APVI) is also committed to not selling e-cigarette products to children under 18. APVI Secretary-General Garindra Kartasasmita stated that APVI, along with other vape associations and retail businesses, has signed a memorandum of understanding on a code of ethics as a sign of this commitment.

"We have been implementing this commitment since 2015. We distribute 18+ stickers to be displayed at the entrance of every store. On the products, we also include a warning that e-cigarettes are not for children under 18," Garin explained.

In addition, APVI also invites e-cigarette consumer communities to participate in preventing minors' access to e-cigarettes. According to Garin, APVI is not just a community of entrepreneurs; APVI also has an organizational wing called Sahabat APVI, which consists of e-cigarette consumers.

Garin continued that through Sahabat APVI, education about preventing e-cigarette consumption in children can be more widespread. With the many efforts made, Garin said that the results are quite optimal because the majority of association members and consumers comply with the applicable rules.

However, APVI still faces challenges such as online sales. Garin admitted that APVI has carried out various initiatives to prevent sales to children under 18, some of which include including 18+ hashtags and arranging so that products cannot be seen by children. In this regard, APVI also collaborates with customs to monitor online sales of e-cigarettes.

"Although it is still a challenge, APVI is clearly continuously trying to overcome this. We discuss with customs to address online sales," he concluded.

Source: Kompas