Tobacco in Indonesia: Obstacles to human, economic, and environmental development
Saksara Research delved into the world of tobacco in Indonesia, seeking to distinguish the corporate and political tobacco rhetoric in Indonesia from the facts. We looked beyond the well documented health implications of tobacco to the more compelling arguments the tobacco lobby uses in Indonesia to protect them from the restrictions that full ratification of the WHO framework convention on tobacco control would bring. We dispelled the misrepresentation in Indonesia related to tax revenue from tobacco, employment, and agriculture. We presented the argument that from whichever angle you view the place of tobacco in Indonesian society, it is profoundly detrimental to Indonesia’s human, economic, and environmental development. Our research culminated in numerous presentations at schools, universities, and TED Talks in Bandung.