Antara, Jakarta – The World Health Organization (WHO) has urged the Indonesian government to mandate standardized plain packaging for all cigarette products, featuring graphic health warnings and stripped of branding elements.

WHO Representative to Indonesia, N. Paranietharan, said on Friday that several Southeast Asian countries have already taken steps toward implementing plain packaging, and Indonesia should follow suit.

"Standardized packaging has proven effective in limiting the tobacco industry's ability to market harmful products as if they were safe or appealing," Paranietharan said, as quoted by Antara.

Plain packaging removes all logos, brand imagery, signature colors, and promotional elements from cigarette products, leaving only graphic health warnings and standardized text.

"This type of intervention significantly reduces the appeal of tobacco and nicotine products, especially among youth," Paranietharan added. "It undermines the package as a marketing tool and prevents misleading visual designs, while maximizing the visibility of health warnings."

Globally, 25 countries have adopted plain packaging regulations, and another four are in the early stages of implementation.

Among Indonesia's fellow G20 members, countries like Australia, the UK, Canada, France, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey have already enforced the policy. In Southeast Asia, Laos, Myanmar, Singapore, and Thailand have taken similar steps.

Paranietharan acknowledged that the tobacco industry often pushes back with claims that plain packaging could lead to illicit trade, hurt small businesses, or violate trade laws – but said these claims are unsubstantiated.

"There is no credible evidence to support those arguments," he said.

He pointed to Australia, the first country to adopt plain packaging in 2012, which has since seen a significant decline in smoking rates and improvements in public health.

Paranietharan emphasized that Indonesia is already well-positioned to implement the policy. Article 435 of Government Regulation No. 28/2024 requires cigarette and e-cigarette producers and importers to comply with standardized packaging requirements regarding design and labeling.

"What the country needs now is a set of technical guidelines to bring the regulation into effect," he said. "With the legal framework already in place, the time for action is now."

Source: https://jakartaglobe.id/news/who-urges-indonesia-to-enforce-plain-cigarette-packagin