Youth Tobacco Use: A Pressing Global Health and Human Rights Challenge

Youth smoking is prevalent in Indonesia. 90% of Indonesian childrenhave smoked a cigarette by age 13 and many remain as smokersinto adulthood. As a result of this addiction, many householdshave cigarettes as their second highest expenditure. Smokingis a considerable financial burden on families and the Indonesianhealth system. Previous international and domestic attempts toreduce Indonesian smoking rates from economic, political, andhealth systems fronts have not succeeded due to lobbying fromtobacco corporations. A stronger stance must be considered—oneof childhood development and a right to freedom from addiction.Advocating for physician-patient education, age limits, and childhoodeducation to key stakeholders in the federal government may helpleverage strategic foreign policies to internationally address thishuman rights issue.