Indonesia Under Pressure As 1,500 Experts Demand Tougher Tobacco Laws
As the world prepares to mark World No Tobacco Day, health experts are sounding the alarm over Indonesia’s worsening tobacco crisis, warning that millions of lives remain at risk unless urgent action is taken against the tobacco and nicotine industry.
More than 1,500 public health experts and advocates at the 11th Indonesian Conference on Tobacco Control (ICTOH) in Surabaya have endorsed a strong declaration urging Indonesia to ratify the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC), the world’s leading treaty on tobacco regulation and public health protection.
Indonesia remains one of only eight countries globally yet to sign or ratify the treaty, despite recording one of the world’s highest smoking rates.
According to the declaration, tobacco use claims about 270,000 lives annually in Indonesia and costs the country over 288 trillion Indonesian Rupiah, more than 16 billion US dollars, in healthcare expenses and lost productivity.
Global health advocate, Dr Tara Singh Bam, described the situation as a severe public health emergency, stressing that aggressive tobacco and nicotine marketing continues to target children and Generation Z.
The declaration highlighted that nearly 29 per cent of Indonesians aged 15 years and above are active smokers, while exposure to second-hand smoke remains widespread, affecting over 78 per cent of adults and 60 per cent of children at homes and public places.
Experts also warned that tobacco use is worsening Indonesia’s tuberculosis burden.
The WHO Global TB Report 2025 reportedly identified tobacco smoking as the leading risk factor driving TB infections in the country, with about 319,000 TB cases linked to smoking annually.
Among the key recommendations in the declaration are a total ban on tobacco and nicotine advertising, increased excise taxes on tobacco products, larger pictorial health warnings, enforcement of smoke-free environments, and a ban on e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products and nicotine pouches.
The experts further urged the Indonesian government to protect public health policies from tobacco industry interference and strengthen smoking cessation services nationwide.
The declaration concluded that Indonesia has the scientific evidence and tools required to tackle the tobacco epidemic but now needs strong political will and immediate implementation to save lives and protect future generations.
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