JAKARTA, April 7 — Indonesia has proposed banning electronic cigarettes or vapes under its narcotics law as authorities warn the devices are increasingly being misused to consume illicit drugs.
ANTARA News Agency reported that the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) said the proposal, which includes vape liquids, would be part of the planned revision of the country’s narcotics and psychotropics law.
BNN chief Suyudi Ario Seto said the country is facing a growing trend of narcotic substances being distributed in vape form, describing the development as a serious threat.
“Based on laboratory tests conducted by BNN on 341 vape liquid samples, we found very surprising facts.
“From the samples tested, 11 contained synthetic cannabinoids, one contained methamphetamine, and 23 were found to contain etomidate, an anaesthetic,” he said during a hearing with Commission III of the Indonesian House of Representatives today.
Suyudi noted that several Southeast Asian countries, including Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, Brunei, and Laos, have already moved to prohibit the circulation of vapes.
He added that banning vape devices could significantly curb the circulation of liquids containing illicit chemical compounds, likening their role to that of a bong used to consume methamphetamine.
“Without the device, the use of such substances can be more effectively controlled,” Suyudi said.
The rapid evolution of narcotics poses an increasing challenge, with 1,386 new psychoactive substances identified globally, including 175 already detected in Indonesia.
Under Health Minister Regulation No. 15 of 2025, he said etomidate has been classified as a Group Two narcotic, but enforcement currently falls under health legislation, which carries lighter penalties.
