IN FOCUS: Amid rising threat of drug-laced vapes, Indonesia’s proposed ban on e-cigarettes stirs debate

He was just 17 when he was first caught with cannabis in 2013. Because it was his first offence, he was released with a warning.

Nearly a decade later, in 2022, he was arrested again, this time for possessing a small amount of methamphetamine. He avoided jail, with a court ordering him to undergo six months of mandatory rehabilitation instead.

But shortly after completing the programme, Evan discovered what he thought was a more convenient and discreet way to continue using drugs: e-cigarettes laced with synthetic cannabinoids.

“The vape tasted like strawberry but had the effects of cannabis,” the audio engineer told CNA.

With a vape, Evan said, he looked no different from millions of other Indonesians who use e-cigarettes.

“I smoked it at work. I smoked it on my motorbike while waiting at traffic lights. I even smoked it in front of my parents. Nobody suspected that I was using drugs,” he said.