How do national laws filter down to the local? Tobacco control regulations and smoke free areas in a decentralised Indonesia

Abstract

The proliferation of provinces and districts in Indonesia since 1998 has led to an array of new local laws across the country. This study focuses on how laws made at the national level become enacted at the local level. We offer a cross-comparison of three case studies of the implementation of smoke-free area regulations, as mandated by Government Regulation No. 109/2012. We investigate this process in Aceh province and the cities of Bandung and Malang, exploring the process of law creation and the context that influences it. We find that local political dynamics shaped unique regulations and outline how these differences manifested, both in the law-making process and in its outcomes. We also reflect on the decentralised law-making system, arguing that top-down diffusion of policy is problematic, with the case studies raising concerns in terms of inconsistencies due to localised variations, as well as inefficiencies and tobacco industry influence.