Polri asked to seriously follow up on BNN's findings about Vape as a gateway to drugs

Illustration of the vape electric cigarette showcase (Unplash)

JAKARTA - Member of Commission III of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Hasbiallah Ilyas, asked the Indonesian National Police and related institutions to seriously follow up on the findings of the National Narcotics Agency of the Republic of Indonesia (BNN RI) which stated that e-cigarettes or vapes had become a gateway to drug abuse. According to Hasbi, the statement of the Head of the BNN RI Suyudi Ario Seto is not a trivial matter, so it must be dealt with with concrete and quick steps.

"I think this statement by the Head of BNN is not a trivial matter, this is serious. If in fact vape and e-cigarettes are dangerous as a gateway to drugs, then of course it must be immediately taken action," said Hasbiallah, Friday, February 20.

The member of the DPR legal commission assessed that law enforcement officers should not hesitate to act if there is indeed strong evidence of the misuse of vape as a medium for drug consumption. He emphasized that the regulations regarding this matter are clear, that drugs in any form should not be consumed by anyone.

"If the suspicion is true and supported by strong legal facts, then the police should not hesitate to withdraw vape and e-cigarettes from circulation. Public safety must be a priority," he said.

Hasbi also suggested that this issue should not be allowed to roll out wildly without a concrete and quick solution. According to him, the government needs to immediately conduct a thorough evaluation of the supervision of vape distribution, tighten control over the liquids circulating in the market, and increase public education, especially for young people, about the dangers of substance abuse through any media.

Hasbi also reminded that the synergy between the BNN, the police, the relevant ministries, and stricter supervision in the field is the key to ensuring that there are no new loopholes for the circulation and abuse of drugs in Indonesia.

"Don't let this issue become a short-lived controversy without concrete steps. If it is not handled quickly and measured, we are afraid it will harm and endanger more people," he concluded.

Previously, the Head of the Indonesian National Narcotics Agency (BNN) Komjen Pol Suyudi Ario stated that electronic cigarettes or vape became a gateway to drugs as an indisputable fact.

"We have found indisputable facts that vaping has become an effective means or a new medium for consuming drugs and new psychoactive substances or NPS," he said in a speech at the Focus Group Discussion (FGD) event at the BNN RI Building, Jakarta, Wednesday, February 18.