Jakarta (ANTARA) - Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin has affirmed\nthat electronic cigarettes are not a safer alternative to conventional\ncigarettes, as they potentially increase the risk of non-communicable\ndiseases whilst also opening the door to narcotics abuse, particularly\namong children and adolescents.<\/p>\n
The minister made the remarks while speaking at the 2026\nInternational Anti-Narcotics Day (HANI) National Seminar, themed\n\u201cGovernance of Electronic Cigarette Circulation: Dangers, Synergy,\nOversight, and Narcotics Prevention in Electronic Cigarettes\u201d.<\/p>\n
Speaking in Jakarta on Tuesday, the Health Minister explained that\none of the government\u2019s main mandates in the health sector is to\nincrease life expectancy whilst extending healthy years of life.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur target is not only for people to live longer, but also to live\nhealthier lives. That is why we must control the main risk factors\ncausing disease, one of which is smoking,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He reminded the audience that stroke, heart disease, and cancer\nremain the leading causes of death in Indonesia, and all three are\nstrongly linked to smoking habits.<\/p>\n
Indeed, he added, a number of countries have already banned the\ncirculation of electronic cigarettes as a public health protection\nmeasure.<\/p>\n
Beyond the health risks, e-cigarettes are also drawing increasing\nconcern because they can be misused as a medium for consuming\nnarcotics.<\/p>\n
This situation, he said, is dangerous, especially because the devices\nare popular among young age groups.<\/p>\n
To strengthen public protection, the Ministry of Health continues to\ndevelop and implement various policies to control tobacco products and\nelectronic cigarettes.<\/p>\n
At the same event, the head of the National Narcotics Agency (BNN),\nCommissioner General of Police Suyudi Ario Seto, said the abuse of\nelectronic cigarettes for narcotics consumption is a new threat that\nmust be anticipated together.<\/p>\n
According to him, the rising use of e-cigarettes among teenagers,\ncombined with the ease of modifying the liquid with various psychoactive\nsubstances, poses a serious challenge to narcotics prevention efforts in\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
He stressed that oversight of e-cigarette circulation cannot be done\npiecemeal, but requires cross-sector collaboration between the\ngovernment, law enforcement, health workers, academics, business\noperators, and the wider community.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/health-minister-e-cigarettes-as-dangerous-as-conventional-cigarettes-1784649184", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }