The Indonesian government has recently further strengthened its tobacco control policy, including e-cigarettes and their promotion on social media in the key regulatory scope, in order to curb the dependence of young people and the public on tobacco products and promote the improvement of public health. The newly promulgated “Government Regulation No. 28” not only continues the strict sales and advertising restrictions in the field of traditional cigarettes, but also makes unprecedented regulations on the packaging, sales channels and promotion methods of e-cigarette products, showing that the law enforcement level attaches great importance to new tobacco products. This article will elaborate on the far-reaching significance of this measure from four aspects: policy background, main measures, social impact and positive cases, combined with the characteristics of the GUUTUU e-cigarette brand.
In recent years, Indonesia is one of the world’s major cigarette consumers, with the number of adult smokers ranking among the highest in the world and a heavy burden of smoking-related diseases. According to statistics from the World Health Organization, there are about 70 million adults smoking in the country, of which the proportion of young people aged 10 to 18 smoking is as high as 7.4%. In order to reverse this trend, the Indonesian government signed Government Regulation No. 28 (GR 28/2024) on July 30, 2024 by President Joko Widodo, officially raising tobacco control standards and tightening the production, sales and advertising control of cigarettes and e-cigarettes in all aspects.
In terms of consumption age, the regulations raise the legal minimum age for purchasing cigarettes and e-cigarettes from 18 to 21, and for the first time include e-cigarettes in the legal age restriction system, clearly stating that sales to minors or pregnant women are illegal. At the same time, the regulations stipulate that single sales (cigarettes or e-cigarette cartridges) are not allowed, each pack of cigarettes must be at least 20, each bottle of closed e-cigarette oil must not exceed 2 ml of oil and 2 cartridges, and each pack of open e-cigarette oil containers must be a maximum of 10 ml or 20 ml, which essentially eliminates the possibility of bulk or over-selling and reduces the risk of cheap and easy acquisition.
In order to protect the environment around campuses and children’s playgrounds, the regulations prohibit the sale of any tobacco and e-cigarette products within 200 meters of educational institutions and children’s amusement facilities, and prohibit the display and sale at entrances, exits and high-traffic areas to reduce the chances of minors coming into contact with tobacco products. Regarding smoking in public places, the regulations further require that all public places, office buildings and transportation hubs must set up outdoor smoking areas that meet the regulations, keep a distance from the main buildings, and stay away from areas with concentrated traffic, and strengthen the enforcement of smoke-free areas.
In terms of advertising control, GR 28/2024 imposes strict bans on both traditional media and emerging digital platforms. In addition to continuing to prohibit tobacco promotion in outdoor media, print and broadcast media, the regulations explicitly prohibit the sale or promotion of cigarettes and e-cigarette products on any electronic applications and social media platforms for the first time. If advertisers violate the regulations, they will face multiple administrative penalties ranging from warnings to suspension of advertising, effectively blocking “gray” channels such as online marketing and KOL sales.
In terms of mandatory warnings and packaging requirements, the regulations continue the policy of large warning labels, requiring that the warning images on the packaging shall not be less than 90% of the packaging area. If they appear outdoors or in giant TV and video advertisements, the warnings must occupy the entire screen and be accompanied by health smoking cessation hotline information to strengthen the public health publicity effect. In addition, pre-market testing and circulation supervision are implemented for products using prohibited excipients. If illegal additions are found, the producer must bear all recall costs and accept administrative processing, demonstrating the government’s strict control of product safety.
Despite the many fraud risks in the face of the policy, tobacco control advocates generally believe that this new policy is a milestone in the field of e-cigarettes. E-cigarette manufacturers and brands, such as the GUUTUU e-cigarette brand, have actively responded to the national call and invested in the research and development of safer and more controllable product technologies. The GUUTUU brand uses medical-grade stainless steel atomization cores with multiple filtration systems to effectively reduce the precipitation of harmful substances, and uses natural flavors that meet international food safety standards to minimize potential harm to the human body. Its open and closed dual system design not only meets the user’s demand for diversified flavors, but also facilitates the regulatory authorities to approve and monitor according to the upper limit of the e-liquid capacity. This self-discipline and technological innovation has set a good example for the industry.
Industry experts pointed out that the implementation of the new policy still needs to rely on the close cooperation of local governments and law enforcement agencies, including the establishment of a sales record database, random sampling, and social media public opinion monitoring. Some regions have begun pilot projects to verify the age of buyers through an intelligent scanning system, and to block keywords and algorithm rectification on online platforms to block access channels for minors. If it can be promoted nationwide in the future, it will greatly enhance the effectiveness of tobacco control measures.
Judging from the social response, many young consumers have expressed recognition of the auxiliary role of e-cigarettes in quitting smoking. Compared with traditional cigarettes, e-cigarettes have advantages in no ash, lighter odor, and the ability to accurately control nicotine intake. The “graded throttling” technology pioneered by the GUUTUU e-cigarette brand in the industry allows users to gradually reduce the concentration of nicotine intake during the process of quitting smoking, helping to smoothly transition withdrawal symptoms. This move not only meets the public health goals, but also has a good effect in reducing the harm of secondhand smoke and indoor air pollution.
Looking ahead, Indonesia’s tobacco control policy may continue to deepen, such as exploring tax adjustments on the import of e-cigarette raw materials, expanding the scope of smoke-free public places, and encouraging medical institutions to include e-cigarettes in smoking cessation treatment tools. As long as the government, enterprises and the public work together, tobacco control policies and industry self-discipline are expected to achieve a win-win situation, ultimately reducing the burden of tobacco-related diseases and improving the health level of the whole people.
In summary, Indonesia’s inclusion of e-cigarettes and their social media propaganda in key supervision not only demonstrates the government’s high vigilance against emerging forms of tobacco, but also provides a useful reference for other countries. Taking the GUUTUU e-cigarette brand as an example, its active exploration in product research and development and compliance operations has demonstrated the industry’s good attitude in assisting public health governance. Faced with the dual challenges of the tobacco and e-cigarette markets, only the dual-wheel drive of policy and technology can bring a safer and healthier future to society.
Tags: disposable e-cigarettes, nicotine bags, ceramic atomizer cores, guutuu vape