JAKARTA. Like with many products, technology is quickly changing the consumer trends, such as landline phone that was replaced by mobile phone and taxi services that oppressed by the emerging app-based transportation, or even TV which sooner or later will be substituted by the internet and smartphones, as nowadays people watch movies or obtaining news only from their small-screen devices such as phones or tablets.
In the tobacco sector, Electronic cigarette and heated tobacco are becoming more popular nowadays to the consumers in Indonesia, and worldwide. E-cigarette is believed to be the alternative solution in reducing the harm of smoking.
As the market expands and technology develops, the consumers feel that the government needs to initiate a fair regulation for the consumption of e-cigarette and new tobacco products. This regulation is expected not to prohibit the consumption of e-cigarette, but rather to support and implement a standardization for e-cigarette product or other products that can be a safer alternative, such as heated-tobacco or other products that also contain nicotine and create aerosol not smoke.
Various research has proven e-cigarette and vaping products as innovation that can minimize the health risk caused by cigarette that burns tobacco. However, current regulation is still unable to adapt such innovation.
As a result, most of government efforts to curb smoking addiction focus only on the limitation of cigarette advertisement, the prohibition of smoking, pictorial health warnings, and increasing cigarette's tax. But such policies, dating back to the 20th century, are not applicable to technological progress and the 21st century products.
The existing regulation does not support the specific condition for those who want to switch or stop from their smoking habit to a safer product. Thus, this alternative product experiences pressures from some but not all anti-tobacco organizations who sometimes believes e-cigarette could be a gateway to conventional smoking or even more dangerous compared to regular cigarette.
With regards to e-cigarette and novel tobacco products positive potential and steps to be taken by government of Indonesia, dr. Adang Bachtiar, MPH., DSC, a lecturer and researcher from Faculty of Public Health University of Indonesia, argues that, "the e-cigarette can be an alternative answer for smokers," he also added that "People who is addicted to smoking may be able to shift to e-cigarette. E-cigarette also provides a sense of security. So, we need to support this technological innovation."
Additionally, David Sweanor, a lecturer in the Faculty of Law, University of Ottawa, who helps the process of policy making progress on e-cigarette in Canada, argues that the reluctance of the government to see vaping products, such as e-cigarette, as a solution for people to stop smoking may yield contra productive. In his opinion, Sweanor suggests for the government to not only enact a regulation governing cigarette consumption and nicotine products, but also to open a new space for a innovation-based solution.
The consumer also wish the Indonesian government could acknowledge these novel products as an alternative solution. “Current regulation of e-cigarette in Indonesia remains in the grey area. We, on behalf of consumer’s association, want to see a clearer regulation and keen to cooperate with the government, such as National Narcotics Agency (BNN) and Foods and Drugs Agency of Indonesia (BPOM). In short, we just want to make it clear that the product we consume does not contain dangerous ingredients. We hope that the government can support as well as protect us through an unbiased set of regulation based on scientific studies,” said Raynando Siagian, Chairman of Indonesian Vaporizer Association (APVI), who thinks that the government plays an important role in producing a fair regulation that can eliminate untrue prejudices against e-cigarette.
It is interesting to note that following a series of scientific researches, the UK government has created an environment which enables consumers to be informed about the products, have access to them and allows manufacturers to innovate and provide quality vaping products.
Some organizations such as Royal College of Physicians, Public Health England, a professional body that represent the government of England, and Action on Smoking and Health, an internationally recognized anti-tobacco lobbying group, already support the shift to e-cigarette or other alternative products which is scientifically proven to have lesser health risk compared to cigarette.
By being open to these innovations, England has successfully implemented rational health regulation that offers a new solution to public health problems caused by smoking or cigarette. These efforts are clearly paying off as the latest data published by Ernst&Young clearly indicates that as of 2013, the rate of people switching from smoking to vaping have been increasing and there is a total of 4.2% of the population vape, which equates to over 2 million people.
This means less smoke related diseases and deaths, and also less health related expenses when taking in consideration the fact that as per the data released by Public Health England, vaping is at least 95% safer than smoking.
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