APVINDO Warns That Rules Not Grounded in Economic Analysis Could Hit Industry and Millions of Workers

Jakarta, VIVA – The Indonesian Vape Workers Association (APVINDO) has urged that the formation of regulations regarding vape or electronic cigarettes must be based on scientific study as well as comprehensive economic analysis. Such policies, it says, have a major impact on the performance of the industry’s business.

APVINDO Chairman Agung Prasojo emphasises that if regulations are built only on a one‑sided narrative, what happens is not public protection but the severing of livelihoods chains for millions of workers and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) involved in the industry.

He emphasises that public policy should not be built merely on momentary concerns or narratives not fully tested. “Regulations that are prepared hastily without adequate data support could kill the legal industry while also harming millions of workers who rely on this sector,” Agung said in a statement quoted on Friday, 6 March 2026.

APVINDO states that they do not oppose regulations. However, the organisation argues that every regulation should be prepared transparently, data-based, and consider its impact holistically.

“Policies born solely from opinion without comprehensive studies risk causing economic consequences bigger than the problems they aim to address,” he added.

It is known that the legal vape industry has currently become a livelihood for thousands of MSME actors, workers in the retail sector, local producers, and informal workers connected to the ecosystem. Therefore, talk of a total ban on electronic cigarettes is seen as potentially eliminating many job opportunities that have been formed so far.

The idea of a total ban is also feared to spur the emergence of an illegal market, while creating business uncertainty for industry players. This condition could harm the state, businesspeople, and workers who have been operating in the legal sector.

A total ban approach without a strong scientific basis could also hinder harm-reduction efforts for adult smokers trying to switch to an alternative with a lower risk profile.

APVINDO also expressed disappointment with the policy-making process, which it sees as not fully involving industry, workers, or the findings of scientific research in public discussions.