Nicotine Levels in Clove Cigarettes Exceed WHO Standards, Health Ministry Pushes for Restrictions

Jakarta — The Health Ministry is calling for restrictions on nicotine and tar levels in cigarettes based on expert research findings, which revealed that nicotine content in clove cigarettes exceeds World Health Organisation (WHO) standards.

Benget Saragih, head of the Tobacco and Lung Disease Control Working Group at the Health Ministry’s Directorate of Non-Communicable Diseases, stated that the WHO-established standard for nicotine is 0.4 mg, which is considered to pose a lower health risk and represents the minimum threshold recommended to prevent addiction.

“According to WHO, 0.4 mg is considered lower risk, but experts have found that in Indonesia, nicotine and tar levels average nearly 1 mg, particularly in white cigarettes. The problem lies with clove cigarettes. This requires government intervention to determine how Indonesia’s tobacco cultivation can be addressed going forward by both industry and farmers,” Saragih said during a meeting at the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture office in Jakarta on Tuesday.

Consequently, Saragih commended the Coordinating Ministry for opening public consultation discussions on cigarette and tar limit standards, which provide space for tobacco industry operators and farmers to participate.

Saragih recommended that the government support the development of technology capable of reducing high nicotine levels, though he acknowledged that such technological development may require considerable time.

“Experts have also discussed whether technology could exist to reduce high nicotine to lower levels. The government needs to support such technology development, and for this reason, five years may be needed. Should five years prove insufficient and ten years be necessary, experts could make such a recommendation,” he explained.

Despite the ideal position that there should be no minimum nicotine threshold because cigarettes are harmful to health, Saragih nevertheless appreciated the research findings that continue to consider the economic aspects of tobacco farmers.