Head of BNN Vape Sugars Banned in the Narcotics and Psychotropic Drugs Bill

Head of BNN Suyudi Ario Seto during a meeting with Commission III of the DPR (ANTARA/Bagus Ahmad Rizaldi)

JAKARTA - The Head of the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) Suyudi Ario Seto proposed a ban on electronic cigarettes or vaped with its liquid or liquid to be regulated in the Draft Law (RUU) on Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances.

He said Indonesia is now faced with the phenomenon of the circulation of narcotic substances in the form of vape massively. Countries in the ASEAN region such as Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, Brunei Darussalam, and Laos, according to him, have taken the first step to ban the circulation of vape.

"Based on the results of the BNN's central laboratory test on 341 vape liquid samples, we found a very surprising fact," said Suyudi during a meeting with Commission III of the DPR, reported by ANTARA, Tuesday, April 7.

He explained that from the testing of 341 vape fluid samples, his party found 11 samples containing synthetic cannabinoids (synthetic marijuana compounds), one sample containing methamphetamine or crystal meth, and 23 samples were found to contain etomidate (anesthetics).

In addition, the Head of the BNN said that the development of narcotics is now moving very fast. Currently, 1,386 new psychoactive substances (NPS) have been identified that are circulating around the world. Meanwhile, in Indonesia itself, 175 types of NPS have been identified.

Regarding etomidate in vape liquids, according to him, the Minister of Health Regulation Number 15 of 2025, etomidate has officially been included in the list of narcotic drugs of group two. However, the prosecution of this type of case can only use the health law, which has a lighter punishment.

If vaping as a tool is banned, he said, the circulation of vape liquids containing prohibited chemical compounds can also be significantly overcome.

"It is like methamphetamine which always needs a bong as a medium to consume it," he said.