Cigarettes Continue to Target Young People through Music Sponsorships, Government Must Immediately Implement Health Regulations

Jakarta, September 10, 2025


Concerts remain a key entry point for cigarette sponsorship in Indonesia.

The cigarette industry continues to create dependence on sponsorship in the Indonesian music industry by funding concerts for decades. This dependence makes some musicians and fans fiercely defend the industry, despite the 7,000 chemicals—65 of them carcinogenic—contained in the cigarettes they promote.

Music sponsorship
Music has become the gateway for targeting youth smokers.

Lisda Sundari, Chairperson of Lentera Anak, believes fanatical support from musicians and fans enables the cigarette industry to dominate music event sponsorship despite repeated criticism.

“Concert audiences are dominated by young people aged 12-21, who are the target audience for future smokers,” Lisda emphasized.

Industry documents show the strategy: music’s universal appeal is leveraged to reach young audiences. In the 1980s, brands like Djarum and Gudang Garam intensively sponsored festivals across Indonesia.

“Music has a universal appeal and a strong influence on targeting smokers.”

BAT International document, 1980s

Creative Strategies to Bypass Regulation

Java Jazz Festival

Even after losing its title sponsor, Djarum maintained presence with the “MLD Spot,” still linking the event to cigarette brands.

Pestapora 2025

Despite regulations, booths from cigarette brands appeared throughout the venue, widely publicized in media and social platforms.

“Cigarette sponsorship normalizes tobacco products in the eyes of children and adolescents.” – Tulus Abadi

The Bigger Picture

More than 70 million Indonesians are active smokers, including 7.4% of children aged 10-18 (Health Survey 2023).

WHO projects smoking prevalence in Indonesia will reach 38.7% by 2025—3rd highest in the world.

Cigarette butts are one of the world’s largest pollutants, with 4.5 trillion discarded yearly.

Advocates argue the government must enforce Regulation 28/2024 to stop the industry’s manipulative strategies. Without strict sanctions, young people remain at risk of being hooked early, compromising Indonesia’s future generation.