99% of Outdoor Cigarette Ads in Jakarta Near Schools, Study Finds

The Indonesian Youth Council for Tactical Changes (IYCTC) and a coalition of youth groups have revealed alarming findings regarding children’s exposure to tobacco product promotion in Jakarta. According to their latest monitoring, 99 per cent of outdoor cigarette advertisements in the capital are placed within a 500-metre radius of school environments. The findings indicate a clear violation of Government Regulation (PP) Number 28 of 2024 and Jakarta Gubernatorial Regulation (Pergub) Number 1 of 2015. Both regulations explicitly ban all outdoor cigarette advertising in Jakarta, particularly along routes used daily by students.

IYCTC researcher Nalsali Ginting explained that of the total 315 outdoor cigarette advertising points found, the majority were micro-advertisements strategically placed in locations frequently visited by children. “Almost all are located at food stalls and shops, in the form of micro-advertisements such as banners, spanduk, and stickers. These advertisements are passed by students every day in their neighbourhoods and on the way to school,” Nalsali said in a statement in Jakarta on Friday (27/6). IYCTC data recorded that 84,551 school students in Jakarta are directly exposed to cigarette promotions every day during their journey to school. The most vulnerable age groups are the primary targets, with details showing 29,211 primary school students and 24,176 junior high school students affected. The monitoring was conducted in three densely populated sub-districts.

Nalsali added that the marketing strategies used heavily target child psychology. As many as 61.8 per cent of advertisements displayed cheap prices below Rp20,000, 44.1 per cent highlighted sweet fruit-flavour variants, and 40.2 per cent used striking colour visuals to attract attention. In light of these conditions, IYCTC stressed that clearing a 500-metre radius zone of cigarette advertising is an urgent emergency measure to save the younger generation from the risk of early addiction. IYCTC Chairperson Manik Marganamahendra proposed that the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government strengthen oversight by replicating community-based programmes, such as the Smoke-Free Area Village (Kampung KTR) or Smoke-Free Village. “If Satpol PP human resources are limited, involve youth organisations to help monitor and take action against advertising violations at the sub-district level,” Manik asserted.