BACKGROUND AND IMPLEMENTATION CHALLENGES: The prevalence of smoking among 10–18-year-olds is 7.4% in Indonesia¹, affecting approximately 5.9 million adolescents. Tobacco companies have introduced various flavor additives to their products to attract young consumers, by offering a different and more enjoyable smoking experience. A 2024 Lentera Anak poll found that 91% of adolescent respondents had seen advertisements for cigarettes and e-cigarettes². Notably, 46.5% of these adolescents recalled advertisements for unique and appealing flavored variants. Fruity flavors are particularly popular among young people, especially non-smokers. Although Indonesia’s Government Regulation No. 28 of 2024 prohibits to use of flavor additives in tobacco and e-cigarette products, the regulation’s implementation needs adjustment by two years from its issuance³.
INTERVENTION OR RESPONSE: We conducted product identification and analysis on flavor additives in cigarettes and e-cigarettes to support the implementation of the ban on flavor additives in tobacco and e-cigarette products.
RESULTS AND IMPACT: Field findings showed that out of 245 cigarette brands available on the market, 33.5% used fruit flavors, 9.9% used menthol, and 5.8% used coffee/tea flavors. For e-cigarette liquid variants across 1339 brands, 37.9% featured fruit flavors, while 21.2% included dessert flavors. These results confirm the tobacco industry’s efforts to attract new consumers, particularly adolescents, through the use of flavors in their products⁴.
CONCLUSIONS: The presence of flavors in cigarettes and e-cigarettes increases their appeal to adolescents while reducing the perceived harm of smoking. Implementing the ban on flavor additives in tobacco and e-cigarette products has the potential to decrease youth attraction to smoking, ultimately reducing smoking prevalence and protecting adolescents in Indonesia from the dangers of tobacco use.