Indonesia Considers Ban on E-Cigarettes Due to Health Risks

According to Vice President Ma'ruf Amin, the government is searching for evidence of the harmful effects of electronic cigarettes on public health and will legislate to ban them if such proof is found.

We will consider (banning e-cigarettes). In principle, the government will ban all dangerous things," Amin said on Thursday at a university in Indonesia.

The Vice President pledged to conduct a thorough evaluation of the impact of electronic cigarettes on public health before the government makes any decisions.

He noted that if it is found that electronic cigarettes are safe for public health, the government's next step would be to consider how to tax the product.

If (electronic cigarettes) are not dangerous, the next step is to decide whether to impose a consumption tax. However, our first step will be to determine whether to allow this product," Amin said.

Earlier, the government launched a plan initiated by the Ministry of Health to revise Government Ordinance No. 109 of 2012, which pertains to the safety of materials containing addictive substances in tobacco form.

The proposed amendments are included in an annex to Presidential Decree No. 25 of 2022, pertaining to the government's regulatory drafting plan for 2023, which was signed by President Joko Widodo on December 23, 2022.

The proposed amendment will include:

The changes made to health warnings and images on tobacco packaging, regulations on electronic cigarettes, the ban on promoting, advertising, and sponsoring tobacco products on information technology media, and the prohibition of selling loose cigarettes.

Violations of smoke-free zone regulations and the consequences of their enforcement will also be included in the amendment to the regulations.

Vice President Amin has not indicated whether the local electronic cigarette industry in Indonesia will also be banned. 2FIRSTS will continue to monitor this issue, so stay tuned for updates.