Health Costs Due To Smoking Estimated At IDR 27 Trillion A Year, Government Denies Discrediting Smokers

JAKARTA - The government has expressed its response to the polemic of health costs caused by smoking which has emerged recently. Through the Special Staff of the Minister of Finance Yustinus Prastowo, the ranks of Sri Mulyani cs spoke up.

"Some time ago a polemic emerged over the statement of the Minister of Finance (Minister of Finance) regarding smokers and excise. I will explain according to the context," said Yustinus via the Twitter page @prastowo, Monday, December 20.

According to him, he did not have the slightest intention to discriminate against smokers because what the Minister of Finance discussed was cigarette consumption and various data and field facts. It is stated that health costs due to smoking amount to Rp. 17.9 trillion to Rp. 27.7 trillion a year.

Of this total cost, there are Rp. 10.5 to Rp. 15.6 trillion, which is the cost of care issued by BPJS Health. This nominal amount is equivalent to 20 percent to 30 percent of the subsidies for Contribution Assistance Recipients (PBI) for National Health Insurance (JKN) participants per year, which amount to IDR 48.8 trillion per year.

"What the Minister of Finance conveyed is that cigarette consumption (in general, without mentioning the subject) causes the JKN burden and economic costs to be very large," he said.

Yustinus then explained about various studies that showed the effect of smoking on health. For example, the relationship between the impact of smoking and stunting and smoking behavior with the risk of exposure to COVID-19.

“Smoking families have 5.5 percent higher stunting children. Smokers are 14 times more likely to be infected with COVID-19 than nonsmokers. Covid patients who smoke are 2.4 times more likely to be in the heavy category," he said through the data shared.

For this reason, Yustinus considers that the track record of the Minister of Finance Sri Mulyani has never personally or institutionally done harm to industry or smokers.

“Smoking is everyone's right, but the government has a responsibility to educate and control for good. Let's continue to work together and collaborate for the common good. Hopefully the formulation and implementation of policies will get better thanks to good communication. Warm greetings," concluded Yustinus Prastowo.