29 April 2025
By Andi Adam Faturahman, Tempo
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – The Health Ministry has released data indicating a concerning rise in the prevalence of smokers aged 10-18 years, or child smokers, in Indonesia. The data spans the period from 2013 to 2023.
Benget Saragih, Head of the Tobacco Control Disease Task Force at the Ministry of Health, stated that the number of child smokers in the country has increased over the past decade.
“In 2023, there were 5.9 million child smokers in Indonesia,” Benget said during a Media Luncheon event hosted by Lentera Anak and the Indonesian Health Policy Room (Rukki) on Tuesday, April 29, 2025.
Referring to the 2013 Basic Health Research (Riskesdas) data, Benget explained that the prevalence of child smokers in Indonesia was then at 2 million.
This figure saw a significant increase five years later. The 2018 Riskesdas survey reported a rise of 2.1 million child smokers.
“The prevalence of child smokers in 2018 reached 4.1 million,” he noted.
Benget attributed the year-on-year increase in child smokers to several factors, including weak regulations.
According to data from the 2021 Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS), 71.3 percent of child smokers purchase cigarettes at retail outlets.
“60.6 percent of child smokers are not prevented from buying cigarettes,” Benget added.
He further explained that a crucial factor driving this increase is the tobacco industry’s targeting of children and teenagers as a means to ensure long-term business viability.
Consequently, he stated that the Ministry of Health is urging various stakeholders to support the implementation of Government Regulation Number 28 of 2024 to curb the further rise in child smoking rates.
“Regulatory strength is only meaningful when translated into consistent and measurable implementation on the ground,” Benget emphasized.
Previously, the United Cigarette Manufacturing Association of Indonesia (GAPPRI) had voiced its opposition to the provisions of Government Regulation Number 28 of 2024. They argued that the regulation was formulated with minimal transparency and without the involvement of industry players.
Henry Najoan, Chair of GAPPRI, stated last January that the enforcement of this regulation, particularly Articles 429-463 and the derivative Health Minister’s Regulation, would significantly impact the industry’s sustainability.
“This will cripple the sustainability of the tobacco industry,” Henry asserted.