UNAIR NEWS – The government, through the Finance Ministry, has issued Finance Ministerial Regulation (PMK) No. 143/PMK/2023, imposing a 10 percent tax on electronic cigarettes effective as of January 1, 2024.
The policy aims to control cigarette consumption, sparking debates in the community. Dr. Kurnia Dwi Artanti MSc, from the Faculty of Public Health (FKM) Universitas Airlangga, believes that the impact of taxation will be hardly noticed.
“E-cigarette taxation is just the same as the tax on conventional cigarettes; it doesn’t reduce the consumption of conventional cigarettes,” she said.
E-cigarettes and conventional cigarettes don’t share significant differences. Both products contain nicotine, leading to addiction.
“It makes them get addicted to smoking. Addiction prevails over price. They will still buy it at any cost,” the lecturer told UNAIR NEWS on Monday, January 15, 2024.
However, the taxation, which impacts the price, may reduce daily consumption.
Other options
Nia offers another option to reduce cigarette use: Increasing the enactment of smoke-free zone regulations. The regulation could be implemented in seven areas: educational facilities, health facilities, public transport, playgrounds, places of worship, workplaces, and other public facilities.
“At least, it limits them from smoking. For instance, if the smoker works at a school, they will stop smoking during office hours,” she said.
Nowadays, ‘smoking’ extends to both conventional and electronic cigarettes. Thus, smoke-free zones apply to both.
“The use of e-cigarettes has now included in ‘smoking’. Although its odor is not as pungent as conventional cigarettes, the use of e-cigarettes is prohibited in the area,” she said.
Be thoughtful
Nia advises the community to be thoughtful in responding to the policy. The assumption that electronic cigarettes are safer than conventional cigarettes is incorrect. The risks of e-cigarettes are similar to those of conventional ones.
“E-cigarettes are just as harmful as conventional cigarettes. The solution is not to smoke at all,” she said.
Kurnia expects the government will use the accumulated tax income to reduce cigarette use in society.
“Cigarette taxes should reduce cigarette consumption. By providing smoke-free zones and increasing education, the community can comprehend the consequences of smoking. Given our society’s various realities, this should be pursued on an ongoing basis,” she said.
Author: Icha Nur Imami Puspita
Editor: Nuri Hermawan
