Indonesia has issued new regulations to ban tobacco advertisements on social media and podcasts, and to restrict the promotion of vapes, with a focus on protecting teenagers. Relevant venues will be included in the management of non-smoking areas.
Key points:
- The government of Indonesia has officially introduced “Government Regulation No.28 of 2024” (PP No.28/2024) to strengthen the supervision of advertising and consumption behaviors of traditional tobacco and vapes.
- The new regulations explicitly prohibit any form of promotion of tobacco products on social media (including podcasts). The regulations emphasize that advertisements must not appear within 500 meters of educational institutions.
- The Ministry of Health suggests that radio, podcasts and other communication Spaces be included in the definition of “smoke-free zones” (KTR) to expand the scope of application of tobacco control policies.
- The Ministry of Health pointed out that vapes are spreading rapidly among teenagers, and fruity and other diverse flavors have intensified their market appeal, posing a policy challenge.
Indonesia Tightens Implementation of Tobacco Control Policies
Siti Nadia Tarmizi, director of the Department of Disease Prevention and Non-communicable Disease Control (P2PTM) of the Ministry of Health of Indonesia, said recently when attending the launch event of “RAW (Resilient, Awesome, and Wise)” in Jakarta that Government Regulation No.28 of 2024 (PP No.28/2024) will become one of the core tools of the current tobacco control policy, especially in response to the rapid growth of vapes and tobacco advertising on social media.
The regulation stipulates that all tobacco product advertisements must be kept 500 meters away from educational institutions. They can only be broadcast on TV between 22:00 and 05:00 the next day. Promotion is completely prohibited on social media platforms (including podcasts). Tamitz pointed out that although smoking behavior in some podcasts may be presented as a “personal habit” rather than explicit advertising. The related behavior still constitutes indirect publicity to the public and falls within the scope of regulation.
Vapes and social media campaigns are included in the focus of regulation
She also emphasized that the Kawasan Tanpa Rokok (KTR) policy should continue to expand the applicable places. Currently, it applies to public Spaces, medical facilities, educational institutions, hotels, etc. In the future, it is suggested that “communication Spaces” such as podcasts and radio stations be included in the KTR definition and incorporated into the regional government assessment system as one of the regulatory compliance indicators.
When discussing the current challenges in tobacco control. Tamitz particularly pointed out that vapes are on the rise among teenagers, and the variety of flavors far exceeds that of traditional cigarettes, making them easier to spread through social platforms. She emphasized that this feature constitutes a new test for the current regulatory framework.
Our current priority issue is how to protect children, especially in the field of vapes.
