Youth Tobacco Use: A pressing global health and human rights challenge

Abstract

Youth smoking is prevalent in Indonesia. 90% of Indonesian children
have smoked a cigarette by age 13 and many remain as smokers
into adulthood. As a result of this addiction, many households
have cigarettes as their second highest expenditure. Smoking
is a considerable financial burden on families and the Indonesian
health system. Previous international and domestic attempts to
reduce Indonesian smoking rates from economic, political, and
health systems fronts have not succeeded due to lobbying from
tobacco corporations. A stronger stance must be considered—one
of childhood development and a right to freedom from addiction.
Advocating for physician-patient education, age limits, and childhood
education to key stakeholders in the federal government may help
leverage strategic foreign policies to internationally address this
human rights issue.