Smart Strategies Of E-Cigarette Advertising In Indonesia, Quoting Health Experts Support. Meanwhile...

Illustration - A worker mixes electronic cigarette (vape) liquid in an industrial area of Buduran, Sidoarjo (Photo: ANTARA)

JAKARTA - The use of electronic cigarettes in Indonesia continues to increase due to advertising and promotion. Manufacturers do not hesitate to include names of health experts so that the public has more trust.

In fact, according to researcher from the Southeast Asian Tobacco Control Association (SEATCA) Mouhamad Bigwanto, there is a lot of inaccurate informations about electronic cigarettes circulating in the public.

For example, it's a safer product and can help people to quit smoking.

"Not infrequently, this information is disseminated by quoting the name of health experts and it has succeeded in making the public believe. Often, some health experts reject conventional cigarettes, but they pack it in such a way that they appear to support electronic cigarettes," said Bigwanto, quoted from Antara, Tuesday, January 26.

He added, the consumers who enjoy the most the presence of e-cigarettes are teenagers because they are influenced by the right advertising strategy. E-cigarette companies have succeeded in building a positive image in almost all aspects, such as innovation, safer, investment opportunities, industry 4.0, and so on.

"This positive image has become a trap for the government to legalize the product by imposing excise, but unfortunately it is not accompanied by strict rules," he said.

The increase in the use of electronic cigarettes is also supported by a supportive environment in Indonesia because there is no regulations against it.

"The absence of regulations for years has made this problem even more severe," he said.