Indonesia considers banning vapes after fatwa
Indonesia's Health Ministry is considering a total ban on vape distribution following a fatwa from the Indonesian Ulama Council forbidding Muslims from using and selling vapes.Summary
The Indonesian Health Ministry is considering a total ban on vape distribution after the Indonesian Ulama Council (MUI) issued a fatwa on November 6 forbidding Muslims from using and selling vape products. A ministry spokesperson welcomed the fatwa as reinforcing public health protection efforts but did not provide details on the potential ban's timeline or specifics. The consideration comes amid weak enforcement of existing regulations, such as Government Regulation No. 28 of 2024, which bans vape sales to those under 21 and mandates pictorial health warnings. A 2025 Johns Hopkins University study found underage sales at independent tobacco retailers in Jakarta to be deeply normalised, with ID verification routinely ignored. Consequently, vape use among Indonesians aged 15 to 19 rose from 1.2 per cent in 2016 to 15.5 per cent in 2023. Public health researcher Diah Wijayanti Sutha warned that lack of pictorial warnings leads adolescents to underestimate health risks, including impacts on brain development from nicotine exposure. The Indonesian E-Liquid Producers Association (PPEI) has advocated for proportional regulation over a total ban, citing burdens on small businesses. The Health Ministry has also sent recommendations to take down over 800 online ads for tobacco and vape products this year, about 70 per cent of which were blocked.
(Source：The Star)
