The Shadow of a Vape Ban: Diverging Stances from BNN, Industry and Academia
The Indonesian debate over an outright ban on electronic cigarettes, or vapes, has sparked contention from various quarters. Industry players fear the policy could kill legal enterprises and threaten jobs, while academics argue that vape is often positioned as part of a harm reduction strategy for adult smokers.
By contrast, the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) is pressing for a prohibition of the product.
The Association of Vape Workers of Indonesia (APVINDO) warns that vape policies should not be drawn up in haste without scientific study and comprehensive economic analysis.
APVINDO chair Agung Prasojo said his organisation does not reject regulation of vape products. However, any regulation must be transparent and data-based.
“If the regulation is built only on a one‑sided narrative, what happens is not public protection but the severing of the livelihoods of millions of workers and micro, small and medium enterprises involved in this industry,” Agung said in a written statement on Thursday (5 March 2026).
Therefore, the prospect of a total ban on electronic cigarettes is seen as risking job losses while also potentially giving rise to an illicit market that is difficult to monitor.
On the health front, several academics view vape as part of a harm-reduction strategy for adult smokers.
Professor Amaliya, Chair of the Faculty of Dental Medicine at Universitas Padjadjaran, said electronic cigarettes form part of a risk-reduction strategy to lessen the negative impacts of smoking.
“Alternative tobacco products are recommended as an additional solution for adult smokers who do not wish or are unable to quit entirely, although the highest success standard remains complete cessation,” Amaliya said, as quoted by Kontan on Wednesday (4 March 2026).
“Thus, the primary objective is public health and improved quality of life for smokers, not intoxication or the use of psychoactive substances,” said Paido.
A number of international studies also highlight this approach. Public Health England, now part of the UK Health Security Agency, states that electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products can reduce exposure to risk by 90 to 95 percent compared with smoking.
In Indonesia, research by the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) also found that electronic cigarettes have a lower toxic footprint than cigarettes because they do not involve combustion producing tar. The research indicates potential health-risk reductions of 80 to 90 percent.