Indonesian Islamic Council Bans Public Vaping and Drug-Laced Vapes
The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) of East Java has issued Fatwa No. 1 of 2026, declaring both the abuse of e-cigarettes for drug consumption and the act of vaping in public spaces haram. Effective July 1, the religious decree aims to assist law enforcement in preventing the spread of drug-laced vape products across the region, including Mojokerto.
Mojokerto City Police Chief AKBP Herdiawan Arifianto welcomed the decree, noting that police had already detected drug trafficking methods involving e-cigarettes. On May 30, Mojokerto police conducted the first bust of drug-laced vapes in the East Java Regional Police jurisdiction, arresting two suspects.
During that operation, officers seized 330 vape cartridges containing etomidate, an anesthetic agent. The shipment, valued at Rp 1.98 billion (approximately Rp 6 million per pod), was sent from Pekanbaru, Riau, through a courier service.
Following the bust, police began working with local vape store owners to monitor inventory. Retailers must coordinate with officers when stocking new liquid or pod variants to ensure they do not contain illicit substances. Currently, no drug-laced vapes have been found in registered Mojokerto vape shops.
The fatwa also restricts where people can use e-cigarettes. By declaring public vaping haram, the ruling forces users to restrict vaping to private spaces like homes. Local vapers have expressed support for the anti-drug initiative but noted they must now be selective about where they vape. Some users are calling on local governments to establish clear municipal regulations to enforce the public vaping ban.
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