Many unlicensed cosmetic products continue to circulate without official distribution permits and contain hazardous chemicals such as mercury, hydroquinone, and lead in the city of Banda Aceh. According to official data from the Food and Drug Supervisory Office (Badan Pengawasan Obat-obatan dan Makanan [BPOM]) Aceh, for the period from November 2023 to October 2024, 55 cosmetic products containing hazardous substances were identified and withdrawn from circulation. This paper aims to assess the effectiveness of the legal protection efforts implemented by BPOM Aceh in addressing the issue of harmful cosmetics for consumers. The research employs a juridicalempirical method with a sociological approach, involving in-depth interviews with five victims and discussions with BPOM officials. The findings indicate that although BPOM Aceh has carried out supervision at both the pre-market and post-market stages, including online monitoring or cyber patrol, the legal protection provided has not been entirely adequate. This is due to the generally low level of legal awareness among the public, where victims often do not understand their rights, are unfamiliar with proper complaint procedures, and rarely check BPOM registration numbers before purchasing products. Moreover, the sanctions imposed on business operators are considered insufficient to create a deterrent effect. Based on these findings, the study concludes that the legal protection system in Banda Aceh remains less than fully adequate and therefore requires strengthened public education initiatives, more rigorous law enforcement, and improved inter-agency collaboration to ensure consumer safety.
Masih banyak beredar kosmetik ilegal tanpa izin edar yang mengandung zat kimia berbahaya seperti Merkuri, Hidrokuinon, serta Timbal di Banda Acceh. Menurut data resmi BPOM Aceh pada periode November 2023 hingga Oktober 2024, telah ditemukan sebanyak 55 produk kosmetik yang terbukti mengandung bahan berbahaya dan ditarik dari peredaran. Tulisan ini bertujuan menilai sejauh mana efektivitas perlindungan hukum yang dijalankan BPOM Aceh dalam menangani persoalan kosmetik berbahaya bagi konsumen. Penelitian menggunakan metode yuridis-empiris dengan pendekatan sosiologis, melibatkan wawancara mendalam terhadap lima korban dan dialog dengan pihak BPOM. Temuan penelitian menunjukkan bahwa walaupun BPOM Aceh sudah melaksanakan pengawasan pada tahap sebelum edar (pre-market) maupun setelah edar (post-market), termasuk patroli dunia maya atau cyber patrol, perlindungan hukum yang diberikan belum berjalan optimal. Hal ini disebabkan oleh rendahnya tingkat pemahaman hukum di masyarakat, di mana korban umumnya belum menyadari haknya, tidak mengetahui prosedur pengaduan yang tepat, serta jarang memeriksa nomor izin BPOM sebelum membeli produk. Selain itu, sanksi yang diberikan kepada pelaku usaha dinilai belum cukup memberikan efek jera. Berdasarkan hal tersebut, penelitian ini menyimpulkan bahwa sistem perlindungan hukum di Banda Aceh masih belum sepenuhnya efektif sehingga perlu diupayakan peningkatan edukasi kepada masyarakat, penegakan hukum yang lebih kuat, serta sinergi antar lembaga demi menjamin keamanan konsumen.