Jakarta (VNA) – The Indonesian government is stepping up controls on e-cigarettes amid an alarming increase in smoking rates among teenagers, with more than 5 million children and adolescents aged 10–18 reported to be regular smokers.
The head of Indonesia's Food and Drug Agency (BPOM), Taruna Ikrar, warned that the country is facing an "emergency" related to youth smoking and e-cigarette use. According to the agency, the smoking rate among children and adolescents has reached 7.4%, equivalent to more than 5 million minors nationwide.
The sharp rise in e-cigarette use has been driven by advertising campaigns promoting vaping as a harm-reduction alternative, a narrative advanced by the industry despite the lack of conclusive evidence that e-cigarettes are safer than conventional cigarettes.
Taruna stressed that e-cigarettes still contain addictive substances such as nicotine, toxic compounds and carcinogens that can cause dependency and pose serious health risks. He added that in some cases, vaping devices have been misused to consume new psychoactive substances (NPS) and other dangerous drugs.
Under Government Regulation No. 28 of 2024, which implements Indonesia’s Health Law No. 17 of 2023, BPOM is responsible for monitoring tobacco and e-cigarette products on the market, including checking nicotine limits, prohibited additives and compliance with mandatory graphic health warning requirements.
To strengthen oversight, BPOM has issued new regulations on the supervision of tobacco and e-cigarette products and is implementing pilot inspection projects in various localities in 2025. The results show that compliance remains low, particularly regarding the protection of children and adolescents from addictive products.
The agency has also launched BPOM-WATCH, a digital platform designed to support the tracking, reporting and monitoring of businesses’ compliance with regulations governing tobacco and e-cigarette products./.
