Football is Life

.

1. Deep Cultural Roots & Social Acceptance

• Smoking, especially kretek (clove cigarettes), is woven into Indonesian culture—particularly among men, with around 63% of Indonesian men smoking, compared to only ~5% of women. Overall, 34% of the population smokes. Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids+9Wikipedia+9Wikipedia+9
• Tobacco’s economic significance is considerable: it’s the second-largest cigarette market globally by volume, sustaining both large-scale manufacturers and millions of indirect livelihoods. Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids+1

2. Aggressive Marketing & Limited Regulation

• Indonesia is uniquely lax: it’s the only country that still allows cigarette advertising, including on TV, billboards, and sponsoring events—even sports. knightscholar.geneseo.edu+12Wikipedia+12Wikipedia+12
• Advertisements often persist with appealing imagery or motivational themes—even if they’re required to include warnings. Wikipedia
• The tobacco industry’s influence within policymaking is strong, which has slowed meaningful progress on tobacco control. Tobacco Tactics+2Think Global Health+2

3. Corporate Social Responsibility as Image-Building

• Major firms like Djarum and the Sampoerna Foundation have embedded themselves in social infrastructure—supporting education, sports, and scholarships. Wikipedia+6Wikipedia+6Wikipedia+6
• Examples such as Djarum’s youth badminton auditions show how companies blend goodwill with branding. Here, children—some as young as 6—participated wearing Djarum-branded gear, often unaware of the company’s tobacco links. Wikipedia

4. Targeting Youth Through Ubiquitous Exposure

• A staggering 75% of Indonesian children see tobacco ads, and nearly two-thirds are exposed to secondhand smoke. Many schools are surrounded by retailers selling single sticks of cigarettes, and most vendors don’t refuse sales to minors. United Nations University
• Shockingly, over 30% of children try smoking before age 10. A widely reported case involved a 2-year-old who smoked up to 40 cigarettes a day in a smoking-permissive environment. 

---

YouTube Video Highlight: The Indonesian Toddler Who Smoked

This disturbing footage, known globally, captures the reality of how deeply normalized smoking is in some communities. The boy—Aldi Rizal—began smoking at just 18 months and quickly became addicted.