Q&A with Ancha Rachfiansyah and Melina Samar Magsumbol, conducted by Carlos Martinez-Mejia
Indonesia has among the world’s highest rates of tobacco use and weak tobacco control regulations, which has made the country a desirable target for the e-cigarette industry. E-cigarette use has been steadily growing in the country since 2015, and it is soon projected to have Southeast Asia’s largest e-cigarette market.
What may be contributing to this rise? E-cigarette companies are aggressively promoting and selling their products on social media and using content designed to reach their ideal consumer: young people.
Using data from Vital Strategies’ real-time digital media monitoring system Tobacco Enforcement and Reporting Movement (TERM), our recently published report, “Vape Tricks in Indonesia: How E-Cigarette Companies Use Social Media To Hook Youth,” offers a first look into online e-cigarette marketing in Indonesia.
To learn more about the report and its findings, we spoke with co-authors Ancha Rachfiansyah, Communication Officer, Indonesia and Melina Samar Magsumbol, Research Manager.
Vape tricks: “Vape tricks” involve using e-cigarettes to blow large, thick amounts of exhaled aerosol (e.g., clouds) or shapes such as rings.
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