Ban selling cigarettes in pieces would be a policy taken among other things to reduce the prevalence of teenagers smoking, considering that the number tends to increase every year.

Jakarta (Indonesia Window) – Indonesian President Joko Widodo said that the plan to ban selling cigarettes in pieces is to protect public health.

President Widodo made the remarks when telling media about the plan to ban selling cigarettes in pieces after inaugurating the Sadawarna Dam, Subang district, West Java province, on Tuesday afternoon.

"That's to protect the health of all of our people," the president said, adding that even the selling cigarettes in pieces have been banned in several countries.

The government issued Presidential Decree Number 25 of 2022 concerning the 2023 Government Regulation Formulation Program which was stipulated on December 23, 2022 by President Joko Widodo.

The 2023 Government Regulation Formulation Program includes a Draft Government Regulation concerning Amendments to Government Regulation Number 1O9 of 2012 concerning Safeguarding Materials Containing Addictive Substances in the form of Tobacco Products for Health initiated by the Ministry of Health.

The basis for its formation, namely Article 116 of the 2009 Law Number 36 concerning Health.

In addition to banning the sale of cigarettes per pieces, regulatory changes also concern; increasing the percentage of health warning images and text on tobacco product packaging; electronic cigarette provisions; prohibition of advertising, promotion and sponsorship of tobacco products in information technology media.

The law also includes; banning the sale of cigarettes per pieces; supervision of advertising, promotion, sponsorship of tobacco products in broadcast media, indoor and outdoor media, and information technology media; enforcement and actions; and information technology media as well as the application of smoke-free areas.

Ban selling cigarettes in pieces would be a policy taken among other things to reduce the prevalence of teenagers smoking, considering that the number tends to increase every year, the Health Ministry’s spokeswoman Siti Nadia Tarmizi said.

"71 percent of teenagers buy cigarettes in pieces and 60 percent when teenagers buy there are no restrictions," Nadia told detikcom on Tuesday (27/12/2022).

Nadia added that as much as 78 percent of cigarette sales around schools included retail prices so that it was more affordable for this group. This causes the smoking prevalence of teenagers aged 10-18 years old to increase and would grow by 15 percent in 2024.

Reporting by Indonesia Window