PBNU Supports Education and Proportionate Regulation to Address Vape Misuse

The government faces a policy dilemma with no truly comfortable solution. The Executive Board of Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU) supports the government in focusing on an education-based approach and supervision to prevent the misuse of vapes as a medium for spreading narcotics, rather than prohibition. PBNU Chairman KH Ahmad Fahrur Rozi stressed that the policies taken by the government should be proportionate. The main focus should be directed towards preventing loopholes in misuse, given that vapes are currently official and legal products traded in Indonesia. “This means not an absolute ban, but we encourage proportionate policies based on public welfare,” said the man familiarly known as Gus Fahrur on Wednesday (8/4). Gus Fahrur gave full support to all efforts to eradicate drugs. He also emphasised that field supervision and education for the younger generation about the dangers of narcotics are very important compared to focusing on prohibition. According to him, strict regulations must be focused on supervising distribution so that vapes are not used as a medium for distributing narcotics. This approach is considered aligned with the principle of protecting life (hifz al-nafs) within the framework of societal welfare. With appropriate regulations, the government can ensure that vape use remains within legal boundaries and is not misused for harmful purposes. Therefore, Gus Fahrur assessed that it does not need to be included in the Narcotics Bill and encouraged specific regulations against the modus operandi of vape misuse for prohibited substances. “I think vapes do not have to be banned in the Narcotics Bill, but rather encourage stricter specific regulations against the modus operandi of vape misuse for drugs,” he added. Previously, in a Working Meeting with Commission III of the House of Representatives (DPR RI) regarding the Narcotics and Psychotropics Bill on 7 April 2026, the Head of the National Narcotics Agency (BNN), Inspector General Suyudi Ario Seto, once proposed restrictions on vape circulation related to drug misuse.