Starting To Worry, Riau Police Monitor The Circulation Of Electric Cigarettes 'Zombie'

Illustration of vape users entering liquid or liquid in an electric cigarette machine. (VapeClubMY-Unsplash)

KEPRI - The circulation of e-cigarettes containing ethodidates is a serious issue that is being monitored in the Riau Islands. The substances used in these products are suspected to cause their use to experience things like zombies.

The Director of Drug Research at the Riau Islands Police, Kombes Pol. Anggoro Wicaksono said that his party found the circulation of electronic cigarettes in the Riau Islands jurisdiction.

"Of course we are aware of the entry of this etomade vape, but as long as we make observations this zombie vape has not been found circulating in Riau Islands," Anggoro said in Batam, citing ANTARA on Sunday, August 10.

The middle-ranking police officer said several cases of electronic cigarettes containing ethodidates that were revealed by his party were still at a level to make users lose consciousness.

Electronic cigarettes containing ethodidates are circulating among young adults, there have been no cases circulating among students.

Like the ones that are busy on social media in Singapore and Malaysia, zombie vapes are circulating among students.

In preventing this, he said, the Ditresnarkoba Polda Kepri collaborated with the local Education Office to educate students about the dangers of using vapes containing etomydates.

According to him, there are no special characteristics to find out whether the e-cigarette contains ethodite or not, because laboratory tests need to be carried out. However, students and adolescents are advised not to use vape because it affects health.

Etomade is not included in the narcotics group, but is included in hard drugs that are prohibited from being sold freely in Indonesia under the Health Law.

"We continue to socialize the dangers of this drug to students by visiting schools," said Anggoro.

The circulation of vapes or e-cigarettes containing e-tomides has begun to be detected by the Ditresnarkoba Polda Riau Islands. In January 2025, 176 pod vapes were thwarted containing e-tomidee.

Then on June 6, the Riau Islands Police raided the minilab producing etomade vape liquid in Batam City. A total of 225 packs of vape liquid from various brands were brought from Malaysia.

On July 4, the Riau Islands Police's Narcotics Directorate arrested a KSOP officer at Ferry Batam Center and a Singaporean passenger who smuggled 325 e-circles of e-ethodite cigarettes from Malaysia.