Indonesia raised the minimum age limit for purchasing cigarettes and vaping products to 21 from 18 as part of a series of changes to health regulations intended to curb nicotine use in a country with one of the world’s highest smoking rates.
A country of 270 million people, Indonesia is one of the world’s top producers of tobacco, and there are about 70 million adult smokers there, according to a 2021 World Health Organization survey, a media outlet states.
In a government regulation signed by President Joko Widodo last week, Indonesia raised the minimum age for people wanting to buy cigarettes to 21. It also banned the sale of a single cigarette.
The regulation is intended to “lower the prevalence of smokers and prevent early-age smokers.” Among the provisions is banning the sale of cigarettes within 200 meters (656 feet) of schools and playgrounds.
The regulation took effect immediately.
The new regulation also bans conventional and e-cigarette sales on “commercial electronic applications” and social media sites. It also bans advertising cigarettes on social media. Penalties for violations range from a written reprimand to a temporary ban on advertising cigarettes.
The new provisions on advertising will come into force in two years.