Jakarta. Indonesia will step up its surveillance of vapes amid growing concerns over drug-laced e-cigarettes.

The National Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) will soon take charge of monitoring the nationwide vape distribution. The watchdog has said it will partner with the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) as the latter unmasked the emergence of drug-laced liquid. Indonesia, which has waged a war against narcotics, rolled out a health-related omnibus law in 2023, and its implementing regulation the following year.

“Based on those regulations, we can issue the technical rules, which specify what sort of [vape] is allowed and which is prohibited. It gives us grounds for any measures and sanctions,” BPOM chief Taruna Ikrar said over the weekend.

BNN had recently floated a plan to entirely ban e-cigarettes in Indonesia. Just a few days ago, BNN head Suyudi Ario Seto told the press that the “only way to prevent liquid narcotics is to impose a total ban”. Taruna suggested that Indonesia should tread carefully before making such a move. BPOM will decide which products to prohibit based on scientific assessments.

“The scientific [assessments] will help us determine which is truly dangerous and must be barred from [the country],” Taruna said.

BNN mainly found drug-laced liquid in illegal vapes, namely, the e-cigarettes without the excise stamp. On these findings, Taruna agreed that illegal vapes must be strictly regulated, while discouraging a total ban.

“We need to decide what [kind of vape] should be prohibited and what is not. [Such restrictions] are not something that we can impose evenly,” Taruna said.

A 2021 survey by the Health Ministry and the World Health Organization shows 11.9% among the Indonesian adult respondents had used a vape. The highest percentage of daily electronic cigarette smokers who had used for over 2 years was found among adults aged 25-44 (8.8%).

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