RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesia's Minister of Health, Budi Gunadi Sadikin, emphasized that e-cigarettes are not a safer alternative to conventional cigarettes. According to him, their use has the potential to increase the risk of non-communicable diseases and open up opportunities for drug abuse, especially among children and adolescents.

The Minister of Health made the statement while speaking at the 2026 National Seminar on International Anti-Narcotics Day (HANI) in Jakarta on July 20, 2026. The event was themed "E-Cigarette Distribution Governance: Dangers, Synergy, Supervision, and Prevention of Narcotics in E-Cigarettes."

He also explained that one of the government's main mandates in the health sector is to increase life expectancy and extend healthy life expectancy. "Our target is not only to make people live longer, but also to live healthier," Budi said.

The Minister reminded that stroke, heart disease, and cancer remain the leading causes of death in Indonesia. "Therefore, we must control the main risk factors for disease, one of which is smoking," he said.

He also assessed that the impact of being an active smoker is not only detrimental to the individual but also to those around them, especially their families. "The impact is not only on the smoker, but also on family members who become passive smokers," he said.

The Minister of Health affirmed that, based on existing scientific evidence, e-cigarettes are no safer than conventional cigarettes. In fact, several countries have banned the distribution of e-cigarettes as a measure to protect public health.

In addition to the health risks, e-cigarettes are also increasingly receiving attention because they can be misused as a means of consuming narcotics. This situation is considered dangerous, especially because these devices are popular among young people.

To strengthen public protection, the Ministry of Health continues to develop and implement various policies to control tobacco products and e-cigarettes. These policies include regulating addictive substances, restricting distribution and sales, regulating advertising, and strengthening provisions regarding product packaging.