(January 27th, 2017, Jakarta, Indonesia and New York, USA) – Global public health experts Vital Strategies congratulates the Government of Indonesia on a new campaign that graphically highlights the many harmful illnesses caused by tobacco use, including lung cancer, Buerger’s disease, stroke and throat cancer. The campaign, “What damage will this cigarette do?”, was launched at an event in Jakarta today by Dr. Anung Sugihantono, Director General of Public Health, Ministry of Health, Republic of Indonesia. Also attending the event was Dr. Agus Dwi Susanto, Head, Division of Work and Environment Lung Disease, Persahabatan Hospital, Jakarta; Cecep Sopandi, a victim of tobacco-related Buerger’s Disease featured in the campaign; and Relis Gultom, the wife of Ranap Simatupang, a tobacco-related lung cancer victim featured in the campaign.
Vital Strategies collaborated with Ministry of Health on the design and implementation of the campaign, which will be broadcast on national television stations including Trans TV, Trans 7, MNC TV, RTV, RCTI, and Global TV for four weeks. The campaign will also be promoted and shared using the tag #SuaraTanpaRokok (“Smoke-free voices”) on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and at www.suaratanparokok.co.id, a website where Indonesians can share stories of tobacco’s harms. The website also includes information on quitting and links to smoking cessation resources.
Commenting at today’s launch event, Dr. Anung Sugihantono, Director General of Public Health, Ministry of Health, Republic of Indonesia said: “In Indonesia, more people are suffering from non-communicable diseases like cancer, lung disease and heart disease. Tobacco use is linked to these diseases and many others. Victims of Buerger’s disease, for example, develop gangrene and lose digits and limbs. This condition is primarily found among smokers. By clearly showing the real harms of tobacco smoke, including such lesser-known conditions, we hope this media campaign will encourage Indonesians to make better informed, healthier choices.”
José Luis Castro, President and Chief Executive Officer of Vital Strategies, said: “We congratulate Indonesia’s government on this powerful new tobacco control campaign and are delighted to have collaborated once again with Ministry of Health. Studies suggest that more than 80 percent of Indonesians are aware that tobacco causes lung cancer and heart attack, but far fewer are aware that tobacco causes a wide range of other conditions.”
Enrico Aditjondro, Associate Director, Southeast Asia, Vital Strategies, who is based in Jakarta, added, “By featuring real victims like Cecep, this campaign will raise awareness of tobacco-related Buerger’s disease, in addition to showing the reality of lung and throat cancer and stroke. We encourage Indonesia’s smokers to watch this ad, think twice about the damage their next cigarette will do to their health, and quit smoking.”
A significant body of scientific evidence finds that there is no safe level of tobacco use, but tobacco users often aren’t aware of or underestimate the actual harms of smoking and their resulting risk of preventable disease and premature death. Showing real images of tobacco’s harms helps to deter youth from initiating smoking and encourage smokers to quit. “What damage will this cigarette do?” features real victims of tobacco-related lung cancer, laryngeal cancer, stroke and Buerger’s Disease. The 30-second Public Service Announcement (PSA) (a 45-second version is available on YouTube) is designed to turn tobacco users’ thoughts about quitting into active quit attempts. This campaign builds upon national tobacco control campaigns launched in 2015 and 2016, which focused on the economic and health harms of tobacco.
The World Economic Forum estimates that Indonesia’s economy will lose as much as US$4.5 trillion by 2030 if the burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like heart disease and cancers is not reduced. As this campaign shows, tobacco use is the leading risk factor for such diseases. In addition to health communication campaigns that will help to change attitudes, fully comprehensive smoke-free laws and higher, simplified tobacco taxes would further prompt smokers to quit and deter smoking initiation. There is a real opportunity for Indonesia to increase taxes to total to more than 75 percent of the retail price, as recommended by WHO. And a further opportunity to earmark some of the monies raised to fund healthcare and social programs. Vital Strategies commends these policies to Indonesia’s Government, to facilitate Indonesia’s progress towards its goals under the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The PSA and stills and transcripts from the PSA are available upon request.
Notes to Editors
Tobacco’s deadly cost to Indonesia
According to The Tobacco Atlas, more than 2,677,000 children and 53,767,000 adults use tobacco in Indonesia (57.1 percent of men, 3.6 percent of women, 41 percent of boys and 3.5 percent of girls). The proportion of men, boys and girls who use tobacco is higher in Indonesia than in other middle income countries. Tobacco kills 217,400 Indonesians every year and in 2010, it was the cause of 19.8 percent of deaths among adult men and 8.1 percent of deaths among adult women – higher than the average in other middle income countries. Studies indicate that Indonesian males are initiating tobacco use at younger and younger ages – many as early as twelve years old. Tobacco use is the leading risk factor for non-communicable diseases, which could cost Indonesia’s economy as much as US$4.5 trillion from 2012 to 2030, according to the World Economic Forum.
About Vital Strategies
Vital Strategies is a global health organization that seeks to accelerate progress on the world’s most pressing health problems. Our team combines evidence-based strategies with innovation to help develop and implement sound public health policies, manage programs efficiently, strengthen data systems, conduct research, and design strategic communication campaigns for policy and behavior change. To find out more, please visit vstrategystage.wpengine.com or Twitter @VitalStrat.
For further information or to arrange an interview with a Vital Strategies public health and tobacco control expert, please contact Tracey Johnston, Vital Strategies, at +44.7889.081.170 or tjohnston@vitalstrategies.org