The Indonesian government recently announced that it will raise the minimum age limit for purchasing cigarettes fromRaise the age from 18 to 21 and completely prohibit merchants from selling cigarettes on e-commerce platforms. This measure was signed by Indonesian President Joko Widodo and immediately came into effect, marking a further deepening of the Indonesian government's health regulation reform.

The introduction of new regulations aims to strengthen Indonesia's healthcare system and reduce opportunities for teenagers and young people to come into contact with and become addicted to tobacco. According to Jakarta Globe, Indonesian Health Minister Boudi welcomes this change, believing that it will help reduce the high smoking rate in the country and reduce health problems and deaths caused by smoking.

In addition to raising the purchase age limit, the new regulations also include a series of strict measures aimed at restricting tobacco sales. One of them is to prohibit street vendors from selling single cigarettes, mainly to curb young smokers who tend to buy single cigarettes due to economic reasons. In addition, the regulations clearly stipulate that businesses are not allowed to operate within a distance of schools and playgroundsSelling cigarettes within a 200 meter radius to reduce the likelihood of student exposure to tobacco products.

E-commerce platforms and social media have also been included in the regulatory scope. The new regulations explicitly prohibit businesses from selling cigarettes and electronic cigarettes through these channels, while restricting the posting of related advertisements on social media. This regulation aims to cut off new channels for tobacco products to spread through the internet and further compress their market space. For businesses that violate regulations, they will face written warnings or even advertising suspensions.

However, despite the widespread attention and support for the new regulations, some anti smoking groups and individuals believe that these measures are still insufficient to completely reverse Indonesia's high smoking rate. They called on the government to take more detailed and effective measures to ensure the effective implementation of the new regulations. For example, it is suggested to strictly verify the age of buyers and require them to present valid documents such as ID cards to prevent minors from purchasing cigarettes.

Indonesia is one of the world's largest tobacco producing countries and also one of the countries with the highest smoking rates. According to data from the World Health Organization, Indonesia has approximately70 million adult smokers result in 290000 deaths annually due to smoking.

The Indonesian government's efforts in tobacco control are not overnight. sinceSince 2018, the government has been seeking to revise tobacco laws, but has encountered strong resistance from the tobacco industry, resulting in slow progress. However, the government has not given up its efforts as a result, but has taken various measures to curb the trend of smoking. For example, in recent years, the Indonesian government has repeatedly increased tobacco taxes to raise cigarette prices through economic means, thereby reducing consumers' willingness to purchase. In 2022, Indonesia raised tobacco taxes by 12%, resulting in an average increase of 35% in cigarette prices. This year, tobacco taxes have been raised by another 10%, further increasing the economic cost of smoking.