Indonesia launches nationwide anti‑smoking campaign with price hikes and public bans

Indonesia’s government has begun a nationwide anti‑smoking drive branded #SehatTanpaRokok, aiming to cut the nation’s smoking rate by 30 % within five years. Starting 1 July 2026, the minimum price of a cigarette pack will rise from IDR 7,000 to IDR 12,000, a 66 % increase intended to deter use. Public smoking is now prohibited in all outdoor spaces—including parks, bus stops and beaches—and offenders face fines up to IDR 1 million.

The health ministry is launching a short‑form video platform called “QuitTok” and deploying AI chat‑bots to give personalised quitting advice. Influencers are being paid to quit on camera, and plain‑packaging with graphic health warnings will replace colourful tobacco branding. Tobacco advertising, sponsorship of sports events and celebrity endorsements are also being barred.

Indonesia, the world’s third‑largest tobacco producer and consumer with about 67 million smokers, expects the measures to meet WHO tobacco‑control targets ahead of schedule. Officials acknowledge challenges such as a potential black‑market surge, cultural resistance to smoking in social settings, and the sector’s contribution of roughly US$10 billion and 3 million jobs to the economy.