BACKGROUND: The tobacco industry seeks to undermine health policies, negatively impact the environment, use its financial resources to purchase influence, promote misleading narratives, exploit legal loopholes, and fund tactics aimed at undermining tobacco control. One form of intervention by the tobacco industry is the widespread dissemination of disinformation to influence public opinion and policymakers. As a result, this complicates tobacco control efforts by creating confusion, leading to potential economic losses, and posing a health risk.
METHODS: This research is descriptive in nature, collecting false information or hoaxes and developing prebunking and debunking materials to counter the disinformation spread by the tobacco industry in the public domain.
RESULTS: Tobacco disinformation collected from partner organizations, social media, and public statements revealed that most disinformation relates to health issues (61%), economics (20%), and legal concerns (4%) that cast doubt on smoke-free zone regulations. Additionally, agricultural-related disinformation (2%) was found, which could lead to misinformation about public welfare, particularly concerning farmers. The actors involved in the spread of disinformation were primarily industry supporters, including affiliations with the Indonesian Parliament , the central and local governments, researchers, professors, doctors, and comedians. The majority of disinformation originated from verified media outlets that are considered to be the most trusted.
CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the importance of efforts to counter tobacco disinformation. The research findings indicate that disinformation is used as a tactic by the industry to obstruct tobacco control efforts in this country. It is crucial to provide facts and perspectives to both the public and the government, demonstrating that disinformation is a deliberate strategy to hinder tobacco control initiatives.