Indonesia warns vape ban over drug abuse
“If that is the case, I instruct to not hesitate in imposing a total ban on vapes in Indonesia,” Prabowo said in a speech delivered on his behalf by Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Djamari Chaniago during the commemoration of the 2026 International Day Against Drug Abuse in Bogor, West Java, on Thursday.
The safety and welfare of the people are the supreme law, he added, citing the legal maxim salus populi suprema lex esto.
He also instructed the National Narcotics Agency (BNN), the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Trade, the Ministry of Law, the Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM), and the Directorate General of Customs and Excise at the Ministry of Finance to immediately convene and formulate stricter regulations governing the trade of electronic cigarettes.
“Implement layered supervision over import and distribution channels,” he noted.
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Due to narcotic prevention, Subianto noted that Indonesia faces increasingly complex challenges on the rapid emergence of new psychoactive substances (NPS), which often evolve faster than existing regulations.
He also cited studies showing that 39.5 percent of vapor users admitted to having used liquids containing recreational drugs, with cannabis being the most commonly used substance, followed by ecstasy (MDMA) and cocaine.
“The method is chosen because it is considered more practical, more difficult to detect, and is mistakenly perceived as safer than other methods of consuming narcotics,” Subianto explained.
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The president said those findings indicate that electronic cigarettes have evolved into a new medium exploited by drug syndicates to covertly distribute illicit substances.
He called for anticipatory measures through stronger regulations, tighter supervision, and a comprehensive policy review to protect the public, particularly younger generations, from the threat of drug abuse.
The president also warned that allowing the threat to persist would endanger the sustainability of human life, future generations, and the nation’s long-term development.
“We must not allow our future to be destroyed by that poisonous smoke and liquid,” Prabowo Subianto said.
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Translator: Bayu Prasetyo