Indonesia Not Butting out of Anti-tobacco Push Despite Industry Resistance over Warning Labels

Source from:  Radio Australia  07/03/2014

Indonesia will continue its attempts to implement new health warning regulations for cigarette packaging, despite most tobacco companies failing to comply.

A law requiring manufacturers to display graphic health warnings on cigarette packs came into force this week.

Despite being given 18 months notice, only a handful of brands were ready.

Indonesia's Health Minister Nafsiah Mboi says the tobacco industry has always tried to delay government regulation.

"That's world famous, right?" she said.

"They do everything they might to undermine it - but the government is firm that we have to protect the health of the people."

Forty per cent of cigarette packs must now be covered with a choice of five gruesome health warnings.

Health Minister Nafsiah Mboi says she provided the industry with plenty of warning - but less than 400 of some 3,400 brands have registered the photos they plan to use.

"They all said yes, they were prepared," she said.

"They hoped that we could give them more lead time, and I said 'well, we have given you 18 months and we have sent you the pictures one year ago'.

"They said, okay, we're ready."

'Investing in youth addiction'

Public health expert Dr Widyastuti Soerojo, coordinator of the Southeast Asia Initiative on Tobacco Tax, says the lack of compliance is a test for the government.

She says there are clear benefits for the industry in delaying implementation in order to attract new smokers.

"You can imagine that we have around 3.9 million new smokers, aged 10-14, per year," she said.

"This is a long term benefit - investing in youth addiction."

Health warnings on cigarette packs in the region are not new - Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Australia are all getting tougher on anti-tobacco measures.

It's a different picture in Indonesia - not only does it have the highest smoking rates in the region, it also has fewer controls on tobacco advertising.

Indonesia's biggest producer of cigarettes is Sampoerna, owned by US tobacco giant Philip Morris.

In a statement, Sampoerna says it "is fully compliant with the Indonesian government's requirement for graphic warnings on cigarette packs.

"All our production facilities across Java, be it hand-rolled or machine made, already produce only products that bear the new graphic warning labels, and are ready for inspections from the relevant authorities."

Looking beyond the law

It's now up to the country's Food and Drug Administration to monitor and enforce the law.

The FDA have this week made it clear to the industry what happens if they don't comply.

First companies receive a warning, then a written warning, then further sanctions of up to five years imprisonment or 500 million Rupiah ($AU44,000).

Health Minister Nafsiah Mboi says that's only a slap on the wrist.

She says the government wants the companies to not just comply with the law, but consider the health of the Indonesian people as well.

"We have to keep on fighting," she said.

"I know it's not easy, but I never said it was easy." Enditem