BPOM Tightens Oversight as Narcotics Threats Continue to Evolve

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian Food and Drug Authority (BPOM) has stated that it is tightening supervision and vigilance in response to evolving drug threats, which are now being found in various forms, such as New Psychoactive Substances (NPS) and the misuse of certain medications.

Speaking in Jakarta on Sunday in observance of International Anti-Drug Day, the Head of BPOM, Taruna Ikrar, noted that the world is currently facing an invasion of NPS—new types of synthetic drugs designed to mimic the effects of conventional narcotics.

“The variety of NPS often means these compounds are not yet fully covered by existing regulations. This situation creates serious challenges in terms of supervision, law enforcement, and public protection,” he said.

In addition to NPS and the camouflage of narcotics within vape liquids, the agency is also monitoring the increasing phenomenon of the misuse of prescription drugs and certain drugs (OOT), including both potent and limited-over-the-counter medicines, used as substitutes for conventional narcotics to target new users at a lower cost.

“Products such as tramadol, trihexyphenidyl, dextromethorphan, and ketamine are frequently found being used outside of their medical indications, instead to achieve psychoactive effects similar to narcotics,” said Taruna.

He assessed that this phenomenon requires serious attention, as current trends show a shift in abuse patterns that does not only rely on illegal narcotics but also exploits legal pharmaceutical channels.

“Products that appear ordinary can serve as a medium for smuggling or the misuse of dangerous substances that threaten the health and future of the younger generation. This certainly requires much higher vigilance,” he said.

Consequently, the agency has issued BPOM Regulation Number 12 of 2025 concerning Certain Drugs Frequently Misused, which mandates stricter supervision of these drugs, ranging from production, distribution, storage, and delivery to destruction.

Meanwhile, to face the rapidly evolving and complex characteristics of NPS, BPOM is working to increase detection capacity by strengthening laboratories, developing analytical methods, and enhancing the competence of the human resources involved in the process.

“Regarding the supervision of vape liquids, BPOM routinely conducts pre-market and post-market surveillance within its authority,” he said.

BPOM is also strengthening coordination with law enforcement agencies and relevant institutions to conduct supervision and enforcement against products suspected of containing narcotics, psychotropics, or other addictive substances.

The agency is actively participating in the National Action Plan for the Protection, Prevention, and Eradication of the Misuse and Illicit Trafficking of Narcotics and Narcotic Precursors (RAN P4GN) 2025–2029. BPOM supports campaigns regarding the dangers of narcotics and narcotic precursors.

Alongside the National Police (Polri), BPOM plays a role in the investigation process to uncover the illicit trafficking of narcotics, precursors, and NPS. Additionally, the agency conducts testing on evidence from narcotics-related crimes obtained from various sectors (Polri and BNN) to serve as reporting data for the P4GN field.

“Education, supervision, and cross-sector collaboration are key to breaking the chain of production and the illicit trafficking of narcotics and illegal drugs,” he said.

Through this year’s International Anti-Drug Day, BPOM invites all elements of society to increase vigilance against various forms of drug abuse, including those camouflaged as legal products or those diverted from legal channels.