Every year, around 225 700 people in Indonesia die from smoking or tobacco related diseases.
World No Tobacco Day is commemorated by WHO, Member States and partners annually on 31 May. This year, the 2020 global campaign aims to debunk myths and empower young generations with the knowledge required to withstand against industry tactics designed to attract young people to smoke.
Contrary to the global trends of declining tobacco use, successive rounds of national surveys conducted in 2013 and 2018 show that tobacco use in Indonesia remains high in both adults and youth alike.
The adult prevalence hasn’t shown any decline during this five-year period, whereas the prevalence of smoking among adolescents aged 10–19 years jumped from 7.2% in 2013 to 9.1% in 2018, an approximately 20% rise.
New data available from the 2019 Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) released today reveal that 40.6% of Indonesian students (aged 13-15 years), two out of three boys and nearly one in five girls have, at some point, used tobacco products: 19.2% of students currently smoke cigarettes and among those, 60.6% were not prevented from buying cigarettes because of their age and two-thirds were able to purchase cigarettes in single stick forms.
The GYTS results also show that almost 7 out of 10 students noticed cigarette advertising or promotions on television or at point of sale within the past 30 days, and a third of students recall viewing advertisements on the internet or social media.
These figures are particularly worrisome as they suggest continued exposure of young people to tobacco use and strategic advertisements, aided by well-crafted disguised messaging, appeal young minds towards tobacco and nicotine addiction.
Exposure to tobacco at a young age not only creates lifetime smokers, but also may contribute to stunting and impede childhood development. It also increases risks of developing chronic noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as heart disease, chronic respiratory diseases, diabetes and cancers as they become adults.
The acknowledgement of this year’s World No Tobacco Day is especially significant during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Studies show that SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 disease, primarily affects the respiratory system making smokers more likely to experience more severe symptoms compared to nonsmokers. Comorbidities, or the presence of underlying health conditions such as the NCDs listed above, have also been found to increase risk of developing severe COVID-19 illness if infected.
Today, as we face new public health challenges in the form of COVID-19, its relevance to underlying long-standing public health issues cannot be underestimated. In the era of challenging times, public health actions will remain inefficient without mustering the global support through global mandates and consultations.
WHO encourages all countries to fully implement the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) which involves developing, implementing, and enforcing effective tobacco control policies aimed at reducing the demand for tobacco. The present situation makes this global public health treaty more relevant than ever before, as there is a need for stronger global coordination and unwavering solidarity among countries to confront public health challenges.
Indonesia, which continues to have one of the highest smoking rates in the world, is the only country in the South-East Asia region that has not ratified the WHO FCTC. Yet, tobacco use remains one of the most important preventable causes leading to life-long morbidity and mortality.
Preventing current smokers, nonsmokers and especially young people from consuming tobacco products is vital if tobacco-related death and disease, and the burden they impose on both human capital and the economy, is to be lessened in Indonesia.
WHO encourages everyone to become educated and spread awareness on the significant risks of tobacco use for the future health and prosperity of young generations.
#TobaccoExposed
More resources on tobacco
Q&A: Tobacco and COVID-19: www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/q-a-on-tobacco-and-covid-19
Contact details
WHO Indonesia media unit may be contacted via email at seinocomm@who.int