Suyudi also highlighted that several countries in the region, including Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, Brunei and Laos, have already banned vapes.
Malaysia is aiming to implement a similar ban by mid-2026.
In Singapore, the maximum penalties for possessing, using, importing and selling vapes will be raised significantly after changes to the law were passed in parliament in March.
Under the new law, the purchase, use and possession of vapes now carry a maximum fine of S$10,000 (US$7,848), up from S$2,000 previously. Vaping was first banned in Singapore in 2018.
Previously in February, Jakarta Post had quoted Suyudi as saying that Indonesia “must not be another countries’ trash bin” for illicit substances.
According to state news agency Antara, Suyudi said on Tuesday that banning vapes could significantly reduce circulation of illicit chemical compounds, likening them to bongs, a device used for methamphetamine consumption.
The agency also highlighted the rapid global spread of new psychoactive substances, with 1,386 identified worldwide. Already, 175 of such substances are circulating in Indonesia.
Indonesia has seen a rise in vape users in the past decade.
The 2021 Global Adult Tobacco Survey issued by the Indonesia Health Ministry and World Health Organisation revealed that 6.2 million adults or 3 per cent of total number of adults in the country had used electronic cigarettes, up from just 0.3 per cent prevalence in 2011, Jakarta Post reported.
Suyudi said earlier in February that vapes are usually used as an alternative for those who want to quit smoking despite the insufficient medical evidence.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/indonesia-ban-vapes-narcotics-drugs-cannabis-6043336
