Adolescent Tobacco Use in Indonesia

Indonesia is the only Asian country that has not ratified the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Male adolescents had much higher tobacco-use prevalence than female adolescents across all survey waves. Existing tobacco control measures in Indonesia, including taxes, smoke-free zones, and Quitline.ina, have not produced sustained reductions in adolescent smoking. The pooled analysis found higher tobacco-use odds among older age groups after adjusting for survey year. Adolescent smoking prevalence in Indonesia increased from 7.2% in 2013 to 9.1% in 2018, with the 2019 Global Youth Tobacco Survey reporting rates as high as 19.2%. Early tobacco use increases the risk of respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, and continued smoking into adulthood. Tobacco-related mortality exceeds 8 million deaths annually worldwide, with approximately 225,700 deaths in Indonesia attributable to smoking. Adolescent smoking is associated with depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation. Older adolescents were more likely to use tobacco than younger adolescents.