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APEI, or known as the Indonesian E-liquid Producers Association, has been present in Indonesia since December 2018. APEI's movement in the Indonesian vape industry is to regulate factories related to vape producers, especially e-liquid producers, that are officially registered with Customs and Excise, and whose members are business actors or liquid brewers who have a primary registration number from Customs and Excise.

For the past few days, it has been circulating on social media that vaping is an alternative tobacco delivery system that is as dangerous as cigarettes. In fact, a doctor conducted an experiment with mice (white rats), and then stated that the mice died within 4 weeks with damaged lungs due to vape vapor.

Regarding this, Bebey as the Chairman and Aga as the Secretary-General of APEI responded that so far, official e-liquids, which are the main ingredient for producing vape vapor, are considered harmless and have undergone a long process, thereby minimizing the potential for pollution.

"Now it's clear that vaping is not dangerous, because the liquid produced will go through a lab test process and other tests to be certified and obtain SNI certification. There have also been many studies. In New Zealand, the United States, it states that the toxic potential in vape vapor is only 5%, while the toxins in air pollution can now reach 30%" said Aga.

Aga also agreed that since vaping also originated from cigarettes, he would not compare it to cigarettes; instead, he considers vaping to be a technological development and evolution of cigarettes, and in the future, these two things will coexist.

However, Aga admitted that the experiment on vape vapor and mice conducted by the doctor needs to be accounted for. Because, according to him, this is inappropriate because the process is unclear and does not involve more expert parties.

"Of course, the doctor's test must be accounted for, because if you want to test vapes, there must be a clear mechanism, and it must be based on an official journal. Therefore, when we ourselves went through the testing process to get SNI, we also involved stakeholders and related parties," he said.

Since such media and content have gone viral and been watched by many people, Bebey suggested being wiser when such things circulate on social media and not looking at it from only one side.

"If possible, be wiser in responding to issues from the media, and don't look at it from only one side, especially since we are also heading towards SNI certification for e-liquids. When something like this happens, it's best to ask the right person," said Bebey.

Aga added that negative content campaigns attacking vaping are a challenge for his side. And in early July, which is the anniversary of vaping, APEI and associations in the vape industry will start moving and striving to realize vaping as a harm reduction technology.

"Black campaigns like this are actually a challenge for us as well, to continue to provide scientific explanations and evidence from related Associations."

"July 1, 2022, is the anniversary of vaping. We, along with vape associations in Indonesia, will start moving to make vaping a Harm Reduction technology, like in Solo, the electric car is a Harm Reduction technology because it reduces pollution. The concept is the same as vaping," he concluded.