Indonesia's Misguided Policies Questioned
Indonesia's “misguided” tobacco control policies have been questioned by regional advocacy organisation the Coalition of Asia Pacific Harm Reduction Advocates
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by Dave Cross
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In a statement released to Planet of the Vapes, the Coalition of Asia Pacific Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA) has strongly questioned the justification behind Indonesia’s proposed tobacco control measures on safer nicotine products such as vapes. The new policies being proposed include treating vaping products the same as combustible cigarettes, with plain packaging, display bans, flavour limitations and restrictions on retailer locations.
Nancy Loucas, Executive Coordinator of the Coalition of Asia Pacific Harm Reduction Advocates, told Planet of the Vapes: “Indonesia's proposed measures are a step backward in the fight against smoking-related diseases. Plain packaging and display bans have failed to reduce smoking rates in other countries, and treating vaping products the same as cigarettes will only discourage adults who smoker from switching to less harmful alternatives.
“The plain packaging proposal, which has not demonstrated effectiveness in other jurisdictions, is particularly concerning. Additionally, the last three pictorial health warnings are unnecessarily graphic and offensive, potentially alienating the very people these policies aim to help. These proposals ignore scientific evidence and global best practices in tobacco harm reduction.”
The Coalition of Asia Pacific Harm Reduction Advocates states that it is also deeply troubled by the provision giving the Ministry of Health sole power to regulate ingredients based on manufacturers "proving an ingredient is not harmful."
The advocacy organisation says that this approach contradicts the principles of harm reduction and ignores the potential benefits of vaping products in helping people who smoke switch to less harmful products.
Nancy Loucas continued: “Vaping has been instrumental in reducing smoking rates globally. By treating these products the same as tobacco, Indonesia is denying its citizens access to potentially life-saving alternatives.
“CAPHRA calls on the Indonesian government to reconsider these proposals and instead adopt evidence-based policies that embrace harm reduction strategies. The organization urges policymakers to engage with public health experts, consumers, and industry stakeholders to develop more effective and balanced regulations.”
The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Advocates is a regional alliance of consumer tobacco harm reduction advocacy organisations. Its mission is to educate, advocate and represent the right of adult alternative nicotine consumers to access and use of products that reduce harm from tobacco use.
CAPHRA says it stays committed to advocating for the rights of consumers in the Asia-Pacific region to access and use evidence-based, regulated, and properly marketed harm reduction products as a means of reducing the devastating impact of smoking-related diseases.
“We encourage further research, open dialogue, and collaboration with governments, health organisations, and stakeholders to ensure the best possible outcomes for public health.”
References:
- The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates - https://caphraorg.net/
Photo Credit:
Photo by Walyudin on Unsplash, resized and cropped
Dave Cross
Journalist at POTVDave is a freelance writer; with articles on music, motorbikes, football, pop-science, vaping and tobacco harm reduction in Sounds, Melody Maker, UBG, AWoL, Bike, When Saturday Comes, Vape News Magazine, and syndicated across the Johnston Press group. He was published in an anthology of “Greatest Football Writing”, but still believes this was a mistake. Dave contributes sketches to comedy shows and used to co-host a radio sketch show. He’s worked with numerous start-ups to develop content for their websites.
