MP: Vape Drug Case Should Not Lead to Blanket Ban

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Member of the House of Representatives Commission VII Bambang Haryo Soekartono stated that cases of the misuse of electronic cigarettes or vapes as a medium for narcotics should not be addressed with a policy of a comprehensive ban on the industry, which could kill exports and affect thousands of small and medium enterprises. Bambang said that banning or shutting down the vape industry requires very careful consideration to avoid creating new economic shocks, given that employment absorption in the vape industry continues to grow every year. “It’s the same as seaports, for example. Seaports are places where drugs pass through. So, to prevent drugs from passing through, should the seaports be closed? If the authorities are not capable, don’t sacrifice the industry,” Bambang said in a written statement received in Jakarta on Thursday. He said that the emergence of indications of the misuse of illegal vape liquids as a medium for drug distribution should be addressed with tighter filtration and detection by the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) and the police. According to him, the appearance of narcotics in illegal vape products actually shows that the duties of the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) and the police in prevention are still not optimal. Bambang added that the primary task of security authorities is to conduct selection so that products used by the public are not contaminated with prohibited substances. Rather than banning the products, the narcotics should be eradicated. In addition, he said that the reason for using vapes as a medium for drugs cannot justify banning the products comprehensively. Moreover, data shows that the volume of drugs entering Indonesia reaches hundreds of tonnes every year, with the majority of its circulation carried out through various routes unrelated to vapes. According to Bambang, detecting drugs in vape liquids or devices is relatively easy because the presence of drugs in illegal vapes can actually be more easily controlled if supervision is carried out thoroughly and integrated. “Therefore, careful consideration is needed regarding the discourse on a total ban on the circulation of vapes,” he said.