APCI values education over packaging regulations to curb child smoking

Jakarta - Indonesian Clove Farmers Association (APCI) Deputy Chairman Heru Wardhana believes efforts to reduce the prevalence of child smokers should be carried out by improving education and socialisation, rather than implementing a standardised packaging policy for tobacco products which is considered to have the potential to weaken the tobacco products industry (IHT). “If the main goal is to reduce the prevalence of child smokers, let us together improve education and socialisation. Not with a standardised packaging design that will impact farmers and the industry,” Heru said in an official statement on Wednesday. According to him, protecting children from exposure to cigarettes is a goal that needs joint support. However, he reminded that the policies pursued should not have a broad economic impact, especially for business actors and farmers in the upstream sector. He also assessed that the standardised cigarette packaging rules could affect the sustainability of cloves as a mainstay commodity for 1.5 million farmers across the country. “Indonesia is the second largest clove exporter after Madagascar. Indonesia has high clove production potential. So, there should be no regulations that actually conflict with efforts to improve the quality and progress of our agricultural products,” Heru stated. On the other hand, legal expert from Sebelas Maret University (UNS) Ayub Torry Satriyo Kusumo reminded that in the regulation, the state must be able to be present to protect the economic sustainability and livelihoods of millions of people within it. “The state must be able to be present, considering non-legal aspects, by carefully looking at the social and economic aspects. The government must truly be present, must be wise in making regulations,” said Ayub.