By Timothy S. Donahue
Top Takeaways:
- Voluntary age limit: Indonesian vape retailers are adopting a 21-plus sales policy with mandatory ID checks and storefront signage.
- Harm-reduction stance: Industry groups say alternative products should be limited to adult smokers and regulated under science-based policy frameworks.
- Youth data pressure: With 70 million smokers nationwide and rising youth prevalence, policymakers face mounting public health scrutiny.
Indonesia’s leading vape retail association has directed its members to stop selling e-cigarettes to anyone under 21, tightening voluntary age controls as regulators weigh broader tobacco policy reforms.
The Indonesian Vape Retailers Association (Arvindo), issued a circular requiring member stores to prohibit underage sales, display 21-plus signage at storefronts and verify customer identification at the point of purchase.
“We have issued an official circular prohibiting vape shops from selling to underage consumers and requiring stores to display 21+ signage at their storefronts,” Arvindo Chairman Fachmi Kurnia said Wednesday. “Retailers are also required to ask customers to show valid identification.”
Arvindo and the Tar and Smoke Free Movement (Gebrak) said the policy is intended to align with government efforts to prevent youth access and to reinforce that alternative nicotine products are intended for adult smokers.
Both groups emphasized that vaping products should be used only by adult smokers unable to quit combustible cigarettes, framing the move as part of a broader harm-reduction approach.
At the same time, Arvindo urged regulators to adopt science-based policies grounded in public health data. The association called on Indonesia’s Health Ministry to consider vaping as a potential harm-reduction tool, citing regulatory models in other countries.
Supporters of harm reduction cited a 2025 study published in JAMA Network Open titled Prevalence of Popular Smoking Cessation Aids in England and Associations With Quit Success. The study, which analyzed 25,094 smokers, found that electronic cigarettes were the most commonly used cessation aid, accounting for 40.2% of quit attempts from 2023 to 2024.
Gebrak Chairman Garindra Kartasasmita said retailers should take on a broader educational role. “Vape shops should not only sell products but also serve as partners in public education,” he said.
Indonesia remains one of the world’s largest tobacco markets. According to the Health Ministry’s 2023 National Health Survey, the country has approximately 70 million active smokers, including 7.4% between the ages of 10 and 18. Data from the Global Youth Tobacco Survey show that smoking prevalence among students aged 13 to 15 increased from 18.3% in 2016 to 19.2% in 2019. The 2023 survey identified those aged 15 to 19 as the largest group of smokers, followed by children aged 10 to 14.
The association’s directive is a voluntary industry move rather than a formal statutory change.
