Indonesia’s health ministry is thinking of more ways to stub out tobacco as the smoking prevalence surges. Photo credit: PxHere
Indonesia’s Ministry of Health says there is a critical need in the country for innovative approaches to combat and regulate cigarette use, as the smoking prevalence in the country has surged to 33.5%, or 70 million people, reports Antara.
Eva Susanti, director of non-communicable disease prevention and control, emphasized the urgency for new tactics, saying the current low cigarette prices in Indonesia necessitate a focused effort to raise prices through excise taxes. She stressed the importance of additional measures to oversee tobacco consumption, introduce preventive actions, shield individuals from secondhand smoke, and optimize smoking cessation services.
She added that there is also the need to address the rising prevalence of e-cigarette users, which has escalated from 0.3% to 3%.
Susanti said the allocation of funds from excise taxes and the Tobacco Excise Revenue Sharing Fund (DBHCT) must be used to bolster efforts in curbing smoking and enhancing smoking cessation services across all regions in Indonesia.
She also emphasized the importance of collaboration between the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Industry, and the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture to supervise cigarette advertising, enforce excise taxes, and combat illicit cigarette trade across various sectors.