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Still puffing: Cigarette display ban won’t change much, Jakarta smokers say
Will the recent prohibition on displaying cigarettes at the point of sale lead to a smoke-free capital?
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Closed off: A minimarket in Central Jakarta has its cigarette section covered up. (ANTARA FOTO/Dhemas Reviyanto) (ANTARA FOTO/Dhemas Reviyanto)
Will the recent prohibition on displaying cigarettes at the point of sale lead to a smoke-free capital?
Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan’s recent decree to ban cigarette displays at the point of sale, which officially kicked off on June 21, comes as part of the city’s pursuit of a more smoke-free Jakarta and attempt to discourage youths and children from picking up the habit.
Young Indonesians reportedly have a high susceptibility to smoking, according to the Indonesia 2019 Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS). The results of the survey show that 20 percent of Indonesian adolescents have tried smoking before the age of 10, and one out of five teens aged 13-15 years have inhaled cigarette smoke, either directly or indirectly as secondhand smoke.
Lisda Sundari, who heads children’s foundation Yayasan Lentera Anak, said a survey the foundation conducted in 2015 showed that 85 percent of Indonesian schools were “surrounded by cigarette advertisements”, as quoted by Merdeka.com on Oct. 7, 2020.
Observations by The Jakarta Post monitoring its implementation from Sept. 20 to 23, suggested some areas in Jakarta were more covered than others.
A number of minimarket chains in the West, East, North and South Jakarta, albeit significantly fewer in the latter, still had stacks of cigarette packs displayed in highlighted areas in the stores, primarily on shelves behind or near the cashier. From the Post’s visits, it was minimarkets in South Jakarta that had followed the regulation the most, blocking the view of cigarette packs with a piece of fabric.
Follow-up observations by the Post between Sept. 26 and 28 showed that some minimarket chains in West, East and South Jakarta still had visible cigarettes retail displays. A few cashiers also said they were unaware of the new policy. Employees at stores following the new regulation, like a minimarket in Jagakarsa, South Jakarta, said there had never been any inspections for regulatory compliance.
