Vapeboss – The government plans to revise Government Regulation Number 109 of 2012 concerning the Safeguarding of Materials Containing Addictive Substances in the form of Tobacco Products for Health.

The plan to revise PP 109/2012 is stated in the annex to Presidential Decree of the Republic of Indonesia Number 25 of 2022 concerning the 2023 Government Regulation Drafting Program, which was enacted by President Joko Widodo (Jokowi).

Quoted from the copy of Presidential Decree 25/2022, there are several provisions that will be amended through the revision of PP 109/2012. The PP will regulate the increase in the percentage area of health warning images and text on tobacco products.

In addition, the PP will prohibit the retail sale of tobacco cigarettes (per stick) and regulate provisions regarding electronic cigarettes or vapes, including the prohibition of advertising, promotion, and sponsorship of tobacco products in information technology media.

The revision of the PP also includes the supervision of advertising, promotion, and sponsorship of tobacco products in broadcasting media, indoor and outdoor media, and information technology media. Provisions regarding enforcement and sanctions for information technology media and the implementation of Smoke-Free Zones (KTR) are also regulated in the revised PP.

Regarding this presidential decree, it is stated that the Ministry of Health will be the initiator of the revision of PP 109/2012.

In 2021, the Center for Social Security Studies (PKJS) of the University of Indonesia once proposed that the government prohibit the sale of cigarettes per stick to reduce the prevalence of active smokers in Indonesia.

Based on the findings of PKJS UI, smoking intensity did not decrease during the pandemic, even among low-income families affected by Covid-19. The research found that 50.8 percent of adult male respondents or husbands who participated in the survey admitted to shifting to cheaper cigarettes rather than reducing their smoking intensity.

Source: Kompas