Indonesian district to ban condoms in convenience stores to halt premarital sex

A staunchly Islamic district in Indonesia plans to ban the sale of condoms in convenience stores in a bid to halt premarital sex, an official said on Tuesday, but activists criticised the move as misguided.

The local administration in Luwu on central Sulawesi island will soon send a notification to convenience stores, giving them a week to remove condoms from their shelves, district head Andi Mudzakkar said.

“We are concerned that premarital sex is on the rise among teenagers,” he said from the district capital Belopa.

A week after the letters are sent, the government will raid the dozens of convenience stores in Luwu, and those caught violating the rule could be shut down, Mudzakkar said.

He said that he took the decision after noticing that condoms were sold openly in the stores and could be easily bought by youngsters.

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Condom sales would still be allowed in the remote district in pharmacies but only for customers aged above 17, he said.