BACKGROUND: Indonesia has the highest number of e-cigarette users in the world. The adult rate increased by tenfold from 0.3% in 2011 to 3.0% in 2021. The increasing use of e-cigarettes was due to poor regulation, massive marketing and active harm reduction campaigns. This report documented the actors supporting e-cigarettes and their strategies in Indonesia.
METHODS: We employed an iterative data collection process in collaboration with tobacco control partners in Indonesia from September 2023-March 2024. We distributed an online form to the partners to identify potential harm reduction actors and interview with experts. Pararelly, we also explored online news, websites, social media. Data was extracted based on the checklist which included organization name, type, description, vision and mission, affiliation, statement, strategy, CSR activities, information sources, and photos of the organization's activities. The data was analyzed descriptively.
RESULTS: We categorised the actors into four groups: seller and producer groups (n=17), education and research institutions (n=7), consumer groups (n=15) and other groups (n=6), who use various approaches and framings. The producer groups demand the application of Indonesian National Standard to support the framing that the products are safe, use innovative marketing strategies and so called corporate social responsibility including greenwashing. Whilst the education and research institution of electronic cigarettes framed the harm reduction narrative with supposed conflicting research evidence, conducting discussion, and seminars. The consumer groups were very active using the claim of the smokers’ right to safer products, advocate for regulating new products separately, while the other groups presented themselves as a social movement both offline and online.
CONCLUSIONS: Harm reduction actors with their various groups deliberately encourage the use of e-cigarettes. Monitoring, documenting harm reduction actors and their strategies is necessary as well as exposing and countering it through engaging and strategic ways.