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View all search resultsHealth Ministry considers banning vapes after MUI fatwa
The Health Ministry is considering banning vape distribution in the aftermath of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) recently issuing a fatwa forbidding Muslims from using and selling vape products.
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A vendor arranges bottles of e-cigarette, or vape, liquids on April 8 at a shop in Kendari, Southeast Sulawesi. (Antara/Andry Denisah)
T
he Health Ministry is considering banning vape distribution, as the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) recently issued a fatwa forbidding Muslims from using and selling vape products.
The ministry said on Wednesday that it welcomed the Nov. 6 fatwa as a "reinforcement of efforts to protect the public” and that the ministry is seeking to strengthen controls on vapes.
“The ministry will continue to review and strengthen electronic cigarette control policies based on public health protection principles, including through plans to impose a total ban on the distribution of vapes,” Health Ministry spokesperson Aji Muhawarman told The Jakarta Post.
Aji however stopped short of revealing the details of the potential total ban on vape distribution or when it might take effect.
The potential shift lands in a regulatory environment where the state already possesses the legal tools to restrict vaping but has failed to apply them with the same rigor as conventional tobacco.
Government Regulation No. 28 of 2024 bans vape sales to anyone under 21 and mandates pictorial health warnings. In practice, enforcement at the retail level is weak and inconsistent.
Read also: BNN seeks tighter vape controls under narcotics bill amid drug concerns
