Indonesia v. Big Tobacco

Indonesia has lured the attention of Big Tobacco, with Philip Morris and others launching aggressive ad campaigns.

Anti-smoking groups are fighting back, backed by The Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use. They’ve helped curb smoking in public areas and put warning labels on cigarette packs, but they’re up against a lot. Indonesia, the 2nd-largest cigarette market in Asia after China, has the highest male smoking rate in the world (67%), and is one of the only Asian countries that hasn’t signed the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. 

As Indonesia draws 10% of state tax revenue from the tobacco industry, high-level support hasn’t always come easily—leading many health groups to focus on local initiatives.
 

Bangkok Post