Vapeboss – The alternative tobacco product industry in Indonesia is currently experiencing rapid growth. This is because the industry has been able to absorb more than 100,000 workers across Indonesia in the last ten years. However, currently, the alternative tobacco product industry also faces a major problem related to the availability of valid product information due to government regulations.

Executive Director of the Center of Youth and Population (CYPR), Dedek Prayudi, stated that the public has the right to access services to obtain information about alternative tobacco products such as e-cigarettes, nicotine pouches, or heated tobacco products. According to Dedek, this is part of Human Rights.

"The government's efforts in seeking, creating, and distributing information about alternative tobacco products are an obligation in fulfilling these rights," said Dedek.

Dedek explained that Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which regulates the right to health, guarantees the public's right to up-to-date information on matters that can contribute to achieving health. Article 4 of the 1945 Constitution also states something similar, namely, everyone has the same right to obtain an optimal degree of health.

In addition, many domestic research and scientific studies have stated that alternative tobacco products are safer. One such study is the toxicology research published by Shoim Hidayat, a lecturer at Airlangga University. Shoim's research results indicate that the chemical compound content in the vapor of heated tobacco products is 90 percent lower than cigarette smoke. Tobacco product vapor also does not produce compounds that have a high potential to increase health risks, such as TAR.

Therefore, the Government needs to educate the public with information from scientific studies and other scientific reviews related to alternative tobacco products. Not only as a tool to reduce the number of smokers, but well-regulated alternative tobacco products can help the public, especially smokers, to obtain their right to health.

Because if a lot of invalid and misleading information circulates, it will have a detrimental impact and deny one of the components of Human Rights, as well as policies toward science.

"This denial, furthermore, has a detrimental impact on development," said Dedek.

Source: Suarabandungbarat