The Indonesian Ministry of Health has officially endorsed the decision of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), which declared the entire production and trade chain of e-cigarettes to be haram. The ministry cited health risks and the prevention of drug abuse as the primary reasons.
The Indonesian Ministry of Health expressed its official support for the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) fatwa No. 2026/131, which declared the entire manufacturing and sales chain of e-cigarettes to be haram, or religiously forbidden. The ministry’s head of communications, Aji Muhawarman, emphasized that e-cigarettes are not risk-free: nicotine causes addiction, and despite the absence of tar, the aerosols and chemicals released are harmful to health.
The ministry reminded that Government Regulation No. 28 of 2024 is already in effect in Indonesia, which mandates age restrictions for consumers and points of sale, and regulates product composition and advertising. Furthermore, they drew attention to the risk that vaping devices could be used for the consumption of narcotics and other psychotropic substances.
In its justification for the fatwa, the MUI cited the Islamic legal principle of prevention, as well as health, environmental, and social harms, and urged the government and parliament to develop a total legal ban and sanctions on e-cigarettes. The Ministry of Health has called on the public, including parents and teachers, to cooperate in protecting minors from nicotine.
In Brief
- The Indonesian Ministry of Health has officially aligned itself with the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) anti-vape religious ban (fatwa).
- In addition to the health-damaging effects of addiction and chemical ingredients, the ministry highlighted the risk of drug use.
- Indonesia already strictly limits e-cigarette marketing, composition, and sales age restrictions through the PP 28/2024 regulation.
- The MUI has called on the legislature and the government to implement a total legal ban and sanctions on vaping.
Source: Vapoteurs (vapoteurs.net)
This summary was prepared by artificial intelligence based on the original article.