Jakarta. Indonesia’s vape industry is ramping up enforcement support while pushing back against calls for an outright ban, arguing that drug abuse cases stem from illegal liquids, not regulated products.

Fachmi Kurnia Firmansyah, chairman of the Indonesian Vape Retail Association (ARVINDO), said the group has mobilized its community to help monitor the circulation of vape or e-cigarette products both offline and online as part of broader law enforcement support.

“In addition, the association has repeatedly reported suspicious activities to the National Narcotics Agency (BNN), the police, and customs authorities to support narcotics eradication efforts, while maintaining the integrity of legal vape products in Indonesia,” Fachmi said in a statement on Thursday.

The response comes after BNN chief Suyudi Ario Seto proposed banning electronic cigarettes and their liquids under the draft Narcotics and Psychotropics Bill, citing rising cases of drug circulation through vape devices.

Suyudi said Indonesia is now facing a growing phenomenon of narcotics distribution via vape, noting that several Southeast Asian countries, including Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, Brunei Darussalam, and Laos, have already imposed bans.

“Based on laboratory tests conducted by BNN on 341 vape liquid samples, we found highly alarming results,” Suyudi told a parliamentary hearing on Tuesday.

He said tests revealed that 11 samples contained synthetic cannabinoids, one sample contained methamphetamine, and 23 samples tested positive for etomidate, an anesthetic drug.

“If the device is banned, the circulation of vape liquids containing prohibited chemical compounds can be significantly curbed,” he said, likening vape devices to tools used for drug consumption.

However, Fachmi stressed the need for clearer public understanding between vape devices as tools and criminal acts involving narcotics abuse.

“We understand concerns over the misuse of vape devices for narcotics. But the government and the public must distinguish between criminal actions and the device itself, as with many tools that can be misused,” he said.

He also pointed to inspections conducted by BNN at licensed vape retailers, saying the public deserves a complete picture.

“From dozens of stores inspected by BNN, not a single narcotic-containing liquid was found in legal vape shops,” he said.

BNN’s Head of Narcotics Laboratory Center, Supiyanto, previously confirmed that vape products distributed through official channels do not contain narcotics. He said misuse typically involves illegal liquids sourced from black or dark markets.

“Narcotic substances are not found in vape stores because this is a form of misuse, which naturally relies on black market or dark market transactions,” Supiyanto said in a recent public discussion.

He added that vape products found to contain narcotics in laboratory tests were those sold without excise stamps.

Echoing this, Daniel Boy Purwanto, chairman of the Indonesian E-Liquid Producers Association (PPEI), reaffirmed the industry’s commitment to compliance and transparency.

“Products manufactured by domestic producers do not contain prohibited substances and are ready to be tested at any time by authorized institutions as part of industry accountability,” Daniel said.

Budiyanto, another industry representative, said legal vape products are part of a regulated sector overseen by the state, from licensing to excise obligations on nicotine-containing liquids.

“Cases reported in the media relate to misuse of vape devices using illegal liquids modified outside the official production chain,” he said, adding that such incidents should not be generalized to the entire industry.

Meanwhile, I Gede Agus Mahartika, chairman of the Bali Vaporiser Association (AVB), underscored the importance of clearly distinguishing between legal products and misuse by irresponsible parties.

“Vape is a legal product regulated under various policies. What must be eradicated is its misuse, not the product itself,” he said.

He added that field inspections have consistently shown that licensed vape stores do not sell narcotic-laced liquids, suggesting stricter enforcement against illegal products would be more effective than a blanket ban.