Indonesian Ulema Council Supports Vape Ban Proposal

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - The Deputy Chairman of the Fatwa Commission of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), Shofiyullah Muzammil, has expressed support for a proposed ban on vaping in Indonesia.

“The MUI agrees that vapes should be banned because they have been proven to be used for drug trafficking,” he told reporters in Jakarta on Wednesday, April 8, 2026.

Muzammil emphasized that the ban should not only target the devices but also address the broader narcotics crime ecosystem that exploits this technology. He warned that if only the devices are banned without dismantling criminal networks, traffickers will find new methods to continue their activities.

The proposal was initially raised by the Head of the National Narcotics Agency (BNN), Com. Gen. Suyudi Ario Seto, who argued that vapes have been misused as a means of narcotics distribution.

Suyudi presented the proposal during a working meeting with Commission III of the House of Representatives (DPR RI) on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, as part of deliberations on the Narcotics and Psychotropics Bill.

He revealed the results of BNN laboratory tests on 341 vaping fluid samples, which showed that 11 contained cannabinoids or marijuana and one contained methamphetamine. The agency also found etomidate, an anesthetic, in several samples.

According to Suyudi, drug trafficking through vaping is expanding rapidly. The BNN has identified at least 175 types of new psychoactive substances currently circulating in Indonesia.

He stated that banning vaping could help suppress narcotics trafficking, particularly the abuse of etomidate through e-cigarettes. “If vaping is banned, the circulation of etomidate can also be significantly reduced. It is just like how methamphetamine requires a bong for consumption,” he said.

The proposed vaping ban has drawn public attention and is expected to become a key issue in the ongoing deliberations of the Narcotics and Psychotropics Bill in the House of Representatives. (Misni Parjiati/Lasti Martina)