Vapeboss – The Indonesian Vapers Association (AVI) does not approve of the government's policy that will treat e-cigarettes and conventional cigarettes equally. This is because it is considered to lack a strong scientific basis.

Chairman of AVI, Johan Sumantri, said that the government unilaterally decided on this regulation. He believes that a scientific study should have been conducted first by the government, and all stakeholders from the vape industry should have been invited for discussion before making a decision.

"In my opinion, what the government is going to do does not have a strong scientific basis, and the government should not make unilateral decisions," Johan was quoted as saying by Katadata.co.id.

Johan added that to date, his party has never received an invitation from the government to discuss the policy. Yet, this regulation has the potential to impact the industry's sustainability.

Meanwhile, the Draft Health Bill states that the government will consider e-cigarettes or vapes as addictive substances that endanger the health of individuals, families, communities, and the environment. In this regard, e-cigarettes are considered addictive substances whose use can cause harm to oneself and society.

"Further provisions regarding the safeguarding of addictive substances in the form of tobacco products and other processed addictive substances as referred to in Article 154 paragraphs (6) and (7) shall be regulated by a Government Regulation," as written in Article 158 of the Draft Health Bill on Wednesday (1/3).

If this law passes, it is possible that people will no longer be able to smoke vapes indiscriminately. This is because Article 157 has regulated specific areas for smoking. This article prohibits smoking in health facilities, educational institutions, children's playgrounds, places of worship, public transportation, workplaces, and designated public places.

"Local Governments are obliged to establish smoke-free areas in their regions," states Article 157 paragraph (2).

If this regulation is enacted, then the production, distribution, and consumption of e-cigarettes must meet health standards and requirements. This means that liquids to be sold later must receive approval from authorized parties.

For information, the Draft Health Bill has been approved by the DPR's Legislation Body. This means that the draft only needs to be approved during the Plenary Session before becoming a Law replacing Law Number 36 of 2009 concerning Health.

Deputy Chairman of the DPR's Legislation Body, Achmad Baidowi, also confirmed the draft. However, he said the draft was not final because it had to await the Plenary Session. "Not yet, that's just a DPR initiative," said the politician, affectionately known as Awiek.

Source: Katadata.co.id