Changes in Compliance with Bans on Tobacco Product Display and Advertising at Traditional and Modern Point-of-Sale Retailers in Depok, Indonesia, 2019-2021

Qinghua Nian; Ryan David Kennedy; Dina Ariani; Kathy Wright; Jennifer L Brown; Tara Singh Bam; Made Kerta Duana; Diah Setyawati Dewanti

doi:10.1093/ntr/ntae099

Changes in Compliance with Bans on Tobacco Product Display and Advertising at Traditional and Modern Point-of-Sale Retailers in Depok, Indonesia, 2019-2021

Nicotine Tob Res. 2024 Apr 25:ntae099. doi: 10.1093/ntr/ntae099. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Qinghua Nian¹, Ryan David Kennedy¹, Dina Ariani², Kathy Wright³, Jennifer L Brown¹, Tara Singh Bam⁴, Made Kerta Duana⁵, Diah Setyawati Dewanti⁶

Affiliations

¹ Institute for Global Tobacco Control, Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University; 2213 McElderry St, 4th Floor, Baltimore, MD, USA.
² Grows and Giggles Healthy Clinic, Jakarta Selatan, Indonesia.
³ Tobacco Control Department, International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, New York City, USA.
⁴ International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union), Asia Pacific Office, Singapore.
⁵ School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Udayana University, Bali, Indonesia.
⁶ Department of Economic, Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta, Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

PMID: 38661571
DOI: 10.1093/ntr/ntae099

Abstract

Introduction: Banning Point-of-Sale (POS) advertising and product display is an important tobacco control strategy. Depok, Indonesia enacted some regional tobacco control policies regulating the POS environment in 2021. This study examined changes in compliance before and after the implementation of these policies as of 2021.

Methods: Data collectors visited 180 modern retailers (hyper/supermarkets/convenience stores) and 147 traditional retailers (warungs) in 2019. The same retailers were re-visited in 2021. Data collectors assessed compliance with tobacco product display, and advertising regulations at POS, including if products were displayed in spaces to target minors (near candy or at a child's eye-level). Data were analyzed using McNemar and Mann-Whitney U tests.

Results: From 2019 to 2021, in modern retailers, tobacco product display (95.6% vs 52.2%) and product advertising (36.1% vs 3.9%) were significantly reduced (p<0.001). In traditional retailers, tobacco product display (94.6% in 2019, 91.2% in 2021, p>0.05) and product advertising (87.1% in 2019, 87.8% in 2021, p>0.05) remained common during both data collection periods. Tobacco products were commonly displayed in spaces to target minors in both modern retailers (43.3% in 2019, 34.4% in 2021, p>0.05) and traditional retailers (90.5% in 2019, 83.0% in 2021, p>0.05).

Conclusions: Compliance with bans on tobacco product advertising and display at modern retailers improved significantly from 2019 to 2021; however, most modern retailers continue to display tobacco products in 2021. Traditional retailers remain largely non-compliant. Tobacco products are commonly displayed in areas that target minors. The enforcement of regional regulations should be strengthened, particularly among traditional retailers.

Implications: In Depok, Indonesia, tobacco advertising and product display bans have been implemented; however, more work is needed to support compliance. Enforcement efforts, such as those carried out by civil police, can focus on tobacco product display bans in traditional and modern retailers, and traditional retailers need additional support to remove tobacco product advertising. Retailers may receive money from the tobacco industry for these advertisements. Creative solutions may include supporting retailers in finding alternative advertising revenue.

Keywords: Indonesia; TAPS; tobacco product display; traditional retailer.