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Fulltext FCTC ratification, smoking prevalence, and GDP per capita: lessons for Indonesia and the rest of the world

Ahsan A, Afin R, Amalia N, Hindriyani M, Jacinda AR, Kramer E

Global Health, 2022 Feb 05;18(1):11.
PMID: 35123526 DOI: 10.1186/s12992-022-00810-y

BACKGROUND: Indonesia's stagnated progress towards tobacco control could be addressed through the implementation of a comprehensive national framework, such as the World Health Organization's (WHO) Framework Convention of Tobacco Control (FCTC). However, national tobacco industry supporters argue that accepting the FCTC will have negative economic implications for the country. These arguments have, thus far, discouraged the Indonesian government from ratifying the FCTC. Drawing from an analysis of the impact of the FCTC on other countries' smoking rates and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita, this study offers empirical evidence against industry arguments concerning the potential negative economic impacts of FCTC adoption. This study applies a two stage least square estimation strategy to unbalanced panel data at country level. In the first stage we estimate the impact of FCTC ratification on smoking rates, and in the second step, we estimate the influence of smoking activity on macroeconomic performance.
RESULTS: The result of this study shows that FCTC ratification has a negative impact on a country's smoking prevalence. While FCTC ratification positively correlates with reduced smoking prevalence, a decline in smoking prevalence is not related to a decline in GDP per capita.
CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study shows that FCTC ratification, which can be an important driver for more effective tobacco control, does not necessarily have a negative impact on the economy. Instead, FCTC ratification may be beneficial for both health and economic outcomes, as it provides comprehensive guidance for reducing smoking prevalence that take into account social and economic factors.
Fulltext Comparison of tobacco import and tobacco control in five countries: lessons learned for Indonesia

Ahsan A, Wiyono NH, Veruswati M, Adani N, Kusuma D, Amalia N

Global Health, 2020 07 18;16(1):65.
PMID: 32682431 DOI: 10.1186/s12992-020-00595-y

BACKGROUND: With a 264 million population and the second highest male smoking prevalence in the world, Indonesia hosted over 60 million smokers in 2018. However, the government still has not ratified the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. In the meantime, tobacco import increases rapidly in Indonesia. These create a double, public health and economic burden for Indonesia's welfare.
OBJECTIVE: Our study analyzed the trend of tobacco import in five countries: Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique. Also, we analyze the tobacco control policies implemented in these countries and determine some lessons learn for Indonesia.
METHODS: We conducted quantitative analyses on tobacco production, consumption, export, and import during 1990-2016 in the five countries. Data were analyzed using simple ordinary least square regressions, correcting for time series autocorrelation. We also conducted a desk review on the tobacco control policies implemented in the five countries.
RESULTS: While local production decreased by almost 20% during 1990-2016, the proportion of tobacco imports out of domestic production quadrupled from 17 to 65%. Similarly, the ratio of tobacco imports to exports reversed from 0.7 (i.e., exports were higher) to 2.9 (i.e., import were 2.9 times higher than export) in 1990 and 2016, respectively. This condition is quite different from the other four respective countries in the observation where their tobacco export is higher than the import. From the tobacco control point of view, the four other countries have ratified the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).
CONCLUSION: The situation is unlikely for Indonesia to either reduce tobacco consumption or improve the local tobacco farmer's welfare, considering that the number of imports continued to increase. Emulating from the four countries, Indonesia must ratify the FCTC and implement stricter tobacco control policies to decrease tobacco consumption and import.
Fulltext Does Tobacco Affect Economy?

Ahsan A, Handika R, Qureshi F, Martokoesoemo DRS, Hindriyani M, Amalia N, et al.

Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2022 Jun 01;23(6):1873-1878.
PMID: 35763626 DOI: 10.31557/APJCP.2022.23.6.1873

OBJECTIVE: The still debatable contribution of tobacco to the economy demands further discussion as tobacco remains controversial commodity due to its adverse health impacts. This paper aims to investigate the relationship between tobacco and the economy using macroeconomics indicators such as unemployment, inflation, and GDP growth. As a comparison, we include the tobacco price bands in USA because the sector is one of dominant affecting the economy and the price in some main areas in America is incredibly competitive.
METHODS: This paper use tobacco data and Macroeconomics Indicators from Euromonitor International and World Bank Data. We extend linear regression models by controlling both the serial correlation and endogeneity bias problems. We also observe the properties in the ARMA(2,2) data generating process.
RESULTS: We document that tobacco tends to affect the USA's future economy but not Indonesia. In our robustness check, we conduct a SUR analysis to control the contemporaneous correlations among Asian markets. We further document that tobacco variables tend not to affect the economy in the Asian markets.
CONCLUSION: Our results show that the contribution of tobacco commodity to the economy is overstated. Therefore, the comprehensive and massive tobacco control implementations should be undertaken hence is relevant to put into actions.
Graphene-edge-supported iron dual-atom for oxygen reduction electrocatalysts

Sumbowo JF, Ihsan FA, Fathurrahman F, Amalia N, Akbar FT, Yudistira HT, et al.

Phys Chem Chem Phys, 2023 Dec 06;25(47):32637-32647.
PMID: 38009535 DOI: 10.1039/d3cp03642a

Pyrolyzed Fe-N-C-based catalysts, particularly FeN4, are reported to show enhanced catalytic activity for some chemical reactions, particularly for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Here, we present a computational study to investigate another pyrolyzed Fe-N-C-based catalyst, i.e. Fe2N6, adsorbed on graphene with special emphasis on the edges of graphene nanoribbons (both zig-zag and armchair configurations) as a candidate for Fe dual-atom catalysts (Fe-DACs). Utilizing density functional theory calculations along with microkinetic simulations, we investigate the influence of graphitic edges on the stability and ORR activity of Fe-DAC active sites. Our findings indicate that the presence of graphitic edges, particularly the zig-zag configuration, significantly lowers the formation energy of Fe-DAC active sites, making them more likely to form at the edges. Furthermore, several Fe-DAC active sites at graphitic edges exhibit exceptional ORR performance, surpassing the commonly employed FeN4 active site in SAC systems and even exceeding the benchmark Pt(111) surface. Notably, the (Fe2N6)o@z1 active site demonstrates outstanding performance in both associative and dissociative mechanisms. These results highlight the role of graphitic nanopores in enhancing the catalytic behavior of Fe-DAC active sites, providing valuable insights for designing efficient non-precious metal catalysts for ORR applications.