A Lingering Habit: The Prevalence of Smoking in Indonesian Culture

In a session with Ubud Writers and Readers Festival, Gadis Kretek or Cigarette Girl author Ratih Kumala said, “My art doesn’t glorify or glamorize smoking, smoking is just a part of Indonesian culture!”. Cigarettes are an indisputable part of life for the majority of Indonesians. Smoking and the habits surrounding the act are normalized, so much so that children intrinsically understand that it is something akin to a rite of passage to adulthood. Many see the object and the act of smoking as cultural, some going as far as introducing it to the younger generation to preserve the practice of enjoying a smoke. This is especially prevalent in male spaces, as the advertising for cigarettes and the activity itself has been mostly catered to masculine tastes.

Indonesia is a major producer of tobacco and one of the nation’s biggest domestic markets is in cigarette sales with a preference for Kretek, a dominating native variant of clove cigarette made with a selection of spices like cumin, nutmeg, or cinnamon in addition to tobacco and clove, according to data from Cornell Chronicle concerning their interview with Marina Welker, author of Kretek Capitalism, two-thirds of Indonesian men smoke while only 5% of women partake in the activity. 

However, it has been noted by sources such as Simon Barraclough through BMJ Journals’ peer-reviewed Tobacco Control section that while significantly fewer women are actively smoking, there have been signs of decreasing stigma towards women who smoke. This shifting image can also be observed through the resounding success of Gadis Kretek, the series, a Netflix adaptation of the previously mentioned Ratih Kumala novel depicting the cigarette industry in Indonesia, notably with a female protagonist. Rather than criticizing the sex of the main protagonist, Indonesian viewers embraced the arrival of the Netflix series with pride and gusto. So one can only wonder if it might contribute to an undocumented uptick in women’s smoking habits especially in metropolitan areas in recent years.

This is not to say that Indonesian society as a whole is uninformed of the dangers of cigarettes. Its most popular variant mentioned above, Kretek, gained a loyal following over the decades for being easier to consume, attributed to its sweet taste compared to its white cigarette counterparts. This being said, Kretek cigarettes are arguably more harmful, with a number of studies highlighting the steep nicotine and tobacco content in Kretek compared to white cigarettes that are more commonly found outside of Indonesia. 

Health-conscious ads have been put in relevant public spaces and packaging to drive potential smokers of all ages away. The prices of cigarettes continue to soar in the nation. Additionally, a new government law signed in 2024 will soon be implemented to strictly regulate the marketing of cigarettes in both offline and online spaces. These are only a few of the many restrictions befalling tobacco brands in recent years. Having said this, according to the head of The Indonesian Consumer Foundation, Tulus Abadi, to Suara.com, Indonesia is the only country in the world that still allows cigarette advertising of various forms. 

Big Tobacco, a generalized name used to address tobacco companies, continues to actively sponsor cultural, art, and music events all over the country, becoming a staple and expected by those present. They provide clear branding through their logo and color schemes that are imbuing these events, while also having a unique way of selling their products: small cigarette packages being handed out by attractive sales assistants. This tactic has prevailed over the test of time with clear results. Younger audiences are actively relating cigarettes to these experiences and are indirectly influenced to accept the status of cigarettes in society.

While this particular tactic is switched up from time to time in modern times through lucrative promotions with a cheaper price point and other marketing hacks, there is no denying the utilization of femininity to attract masculine consumers to cigarettes and adjacent products in this instance. The masculine energy is also strongly charmed through videographies related to cigarette advertising, often containing extreme sports done in a suave manner with a deep voice narrating the conventionally cool experience with the companies’ logo following at the end. The actual product itself is never present due to a restrictive law, yet these Big Tobacco companies are culturally relevant enough that the audience would recognize them even with its omission. 

These are why cigarettes of all kinds are still flying off the shelves despite stricter rules being imposed on their marketing and distribution routes. Consumers are still given a plethora of options in the cigarette market. If Kretek is too expensive, Klobot or Tingwe could be a feasible alternative. Those looking for a trendier vibe or a workaround for smoking actual cigarettes could opt for e-cigarettes and their endless varieties. The culture of smoking is still very much alive. Now, in the face of this state of affairs, we should ask ourselves if this is the future we want to shape for ourselves. One covered in billowing smoke curling towards polluted prospects.