Prabowo seeks total vape ban if it opens path to drugs
BNN, the Health Ministry, Trade Ministry, Law Ministry, BPOM and Customs are told to draft tighter rules on imports and distribution.
President Prabowo Subianto called for a total ban on electronic cigarettes, or vape, if a joint study proves the risks are greater and the products continue to be used as a gateway for new narcotics. The directive was read out by Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Djamari Chaniago at the 2026 International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking commemoration in Kabupaten Bogor on Thursday. Prabowo ordered the head of BNN, the Health Minister, the Trade Minister, the Law Minister, the head of BPOM and the director general of Customs and Excise to immediately draw up tighter rules for vape trade, including layered oversight of import and distribution channels. In the remarks, he cited research showing 39.5 percent of vape device users said they had used liquids containing recreational drugs; the substances most often mentioned were cannabis, followed by MDMA and cocaine. At the same time, Arvindo called for a distinction between legal excise-paid products and illegal vape, which is considered harder to trace.