Children Surrounded by Cigarette and Vape Smoke

In Makassar, the cheerful atmosphere of Taman Macan, a local city park, is frequently marred by drifting cigarette smoke. While children play on swings and ride bicycles, they are often forced to coexist with adults smoking and teenagers using electronic cigarettes, or vapes. This situation highlights a critical gap in child protection, as the health risks of passive smoking are often overlooked during national discussions on children’s rights.

Indonesia remains one of the countries with a very high number of smokers, and more concerningly, the age of first-time smokers is shifting towards younger demographics. National surveys indicate that many children and adolescents begin smoking before the age of 18. According to a recent survey by the Indonesian Health Policy Space (RUKKI) Foundation, approximately 2.03 million Indonesian children are caught in the cycle of tobacco consumption, involving 4.14 billion sticks and an estimated expenditure of Rp4.5 trillion in 2025.

These findings align with the 2023 Indonesian Health Survey (SKI), which reported a child smoking prevalence of 7.4%, affecting roughly 6 million children. Furthermore, the rising trend of vaping among adolescents presents a new challenge for tobacco control. Many teenagers perceive vapes as a safer alternative to conventional cigarettes, a misconception bolstered by modern product designs, fruit flavours, and aggressive social media promotion. However, research confirms that vapes still contain nicotine, an addictive substance that can impair brain development, reduce concentration, and disrupt learning processes in young people.