Health, Trade Ministries to Discuss E-Cigarette Regulation
Jakarta. Indonesia's Health Ministry is set to meet with the Trade Ministry next week to discuss regulating the sale of electronic cigarettes.
Ekowati Rahajeng, the director of non-communicable disease control at the Health Ministry, told reporters in Jakarta on Friday that officials from the two ministries would meet to draft the bill on so-called Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS).
"Currently, we are in the middle of harmonizing the regulations," said Ekowati, adding that the Trade Ministry had the authority to prohibit the distribution of e-cigarettes that are included as electronic devices.
Ekowati said her office would only provide scientific health-related results and recommendations on e-cigarettes.
"We have addressed our recommendations to ban the delivery of this type of cigarette because it has been proven that the compounds of e-cigarettes are more dangerous than that of conventional cigarettes," she added.
Ekowati did not disclose further details about the planned regulation.
Indonesia has regulated tobacco use, including forcing cigarette companies to put pictorial health warnings on packages. The government, however, is yet to issue any regulation regarding e-cigarettes.
E-cigarette devices, which were initially introduced in China in 2003, contain nicotine and a mixture of several chemicals.
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