Concrete and Measurable Steps Must Be Taken Immediately to Curb Child Smokers: Lestari Moerdijat

Efforts to reduce the number of child smokers require concrete, measurable collective action, starting within the family environment. Data from the Ruang Kebijakan Kesehatan Indonesia (RUKKI) Foundation reveals that throughout 2025, 2.03 million adolescent smokers in Indonesia spent IDR 4.5 trillion annually to purchase 4.17 billion cigarettes.

Lestari Moerdijat, Deputy Speaker of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR), stated that these figures are not merely statistics but a crisis alarm threatening the future of Indonesia’s Golden Generation 2045. ‘Public understanding of the importance of a healthy lifestyle must be continuously improved, starting from the family environment, so that awareness to build a strong and resilient generation continues to grow,’ she said in a written statement on Friday.

According to the 2023 Indonesian Health Survey, the prevalence of smokers aged 10-18 years was recorded at 7.4 percent. Moerdijat noted that this figure remains higher than the target set in the 2024-2029 National Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMN) of 5.4 percent. ‘This record must be followed up immediately by all parties with concrete steps, so that the established targets can truly be realised,’ emphasised the member of House Commission X.

Moerdijat acknowledged the technical measures taken by the government to prevent and curb cigarette sales to children and adolescents. She argued that efforts to raise early awareness about the dangers of tobacco and nicotine require cross-sector collaboration. The most crucial step, she believes, is strengthening the understanding of healthy lifestyle practices starting from the family and educational environments. ‘Good habits must begin in the family environment. Parents must be able to educate their children from an early age so that the adoption of a healthy lifestyle becomes a daily practice for families and the community,’ she said.

Moerdijat asserted that saving children from the dangers of smoking is a long-term investment to realise a Golden Indonesia that is healthy, productive, and competitive.