PBNU Urges Government to Consider Impact of Health Regulation on Tobacco Sector

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Chairman of the Bahtsul Masail Institute of the Nahdlatul Ulama Executive Board (PBNU), KH Mahbub Ma’afi Romdhun, has urged policy-making institutions to observe and consider the impact of implementing Government Regulation (PP) Number 28 of 2024 on Health. He stated that six million people would be economically affected by the regulation, including the Draft Minister of Health Regulation on the Inclusion of Health Warnings and Information on Tobacco Products and Electronic Cigarettes. “Any government policy must consider intellectual input,” Ma’afi said in Jakarta on Friday. Meanwhile, legal expert from Sebelas Maret University (UNS), Djatmiko Anom Husodo, emphasised that mitigating the impact of a regulation is crucial in the drafting process. “The principle of proportionality must be paramount, including the element of prudence. The principle of proportionality must not only be evidence-based but also include public participation and transparency,” Husodo explained. He added that apart from being proportional, the draft regulation concerning the tobacco ecosystem, including standardised packaging, must be implementable, adaptive, and not cause sudden socio-economic disruption. Husodo noted that the tobacco products industry (IHT) is a long-standing economic ecosystem, so any draft regulation related to it must be carefully calculated. The government is currently reviewing the standardised packaging regulation initiated by the Ministry of Health. Under this rule, logos, colours, and distinctive brand designs would be removed, making all tobacco and electronic cigarette packaging look almost identical. From a health perspective, the policy is believed to reduce the appeal of cigarettes, especially among young people. However, other parties have warned of the knock-on effects on the packaging, printing, and tobacco farming industries, as well as the millions of workers in the sector.