‘Smoking prevalence in Indonesia among highest, still rising’

Expert stresses need for raising tobacco taxes, banning advertisement, enforcing public smoking bans strictly 

JAKARTA, Indonesia (MNTV) – Indonesia has one of the highest smoking rates in the world which is still going up, said Xiaochen Dai, lead research scientist at Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation.   

He quoted a recent study published in The Lancet Public Health which found that smoking caused more than 10% of all deaths in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region in 2021, with Indonesia being one of the countries with the highest smoking prevalence.

The study also noted that while smoking rates have declined in some ASEAN countries, the total number of smokers has actually increased by over 50 million since 1990. Indonesia, in particular, saw an increase in male smoking prevalence, making it one of the few countries globally to do so.

To combat this issue, experts recommended that Indonesia implement stronger tobacco control measures, such as raising tobacco taxes, banning tobacco advertising, and enforcing public smoking bans. 

Additionally, protecting young people from the harms of tobacco and regulating newer products like e-cigarettes are crucial steps, Dai said. 

Indonesia’s failure to sign the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and its relatively low tobacco taxes are seen as major obstacles to addressing the country’s smoking epidemic, Dai said. 

He added that by taking a comprehensive approach to tobacco control, Indonesia can reduce the devastating impact of smoking on its population and improve the overall health and well-being of its citizens.