UI Research Reveals Cigarette Consumption Risks Undermining Free Nutritious Meal Programme Benefits

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Recent research by the Centre for Social Security Studies at the University of Indonesia (PKJS-UI) has found that households with smoking members pose a risk to the intended benefits of the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme. The study reveals that a significant portion of children receiving MBG meals come from smoking households, which tend to allocate less expenditure to nutritious food and more to unhealthy food options.

Data from the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) in 2024 shows that approximately 28.99 per cent of households in Indonesia still consume cigarettes, with average expenditure reaching about 11 per cent of total household spending. This situation raises concerns as cigarette spending can reduce family allocations for nutritious food, health, and children’s education.

“Nutrition programmes like MBG require the support of a healthy household environment, including the control of smoking behaviour and family expenditure allocation that is more focused on children’s needs,” said the Head of PKJS-UI, Aryana Satrya, in a statement in Jakarta on Thursday.

Furthermore, PKJS-UI researcher Santoso explained that the success of programmes such as MBG cannot be understood solely from the perspective of food provision. He assessed that consumption behaviour and the household conditions in which children grow up also have a significant influence on the achieved outcomes.

“MBG has the potential to reduce household cigarette expenditure, but the impact is not yet significant, thus requiring further, more comprehensive interventions,” said Santoso.

According to him, the success of MBG is also heavily influenced by the broader environment, including access to nutritious food and exposure to tobacco. Therefore, a deeper understanding of the social and cultural factors that cause smoking behaviour to persist and be considered normal in society is required.

Based on these findings, PKJS-UI recommends several policy steps to strengthen the effectiveness of the MBG programme and ensure that every nutritional investment provides maximum benefits for Indonesian children. Consequently, PKJS-UI recommends that relevant stakeholders conduct simple screenings regarding tobacco exposure at home and strengthen education on the dangers of smoking in schools. They also suggest using MBG as a programme for behavioural change through education on smoke-free homes, as well as increasing Tobacco Excise Duties (CHT) and simplifying the CHT structure to make cigarettes more expensive, thereby reducing consumption.