JAKARTA: The North Sumatra Legislative Council should soon deliberate a provincial bylaw regulating the supervision of vapes or e-cigarette, which have been infused with drugs, as the province tops the national drug abuse rankings.
One of the crucial points in the bylaw is the new method in drug distribution using vape liquid, North Sumatra Governor Bobby Nasution said in his speech at the council’s plenary meeting to commemorate the province’s 78th anniversary on Wednesday (April 15).
“The distribution of vapes containing drugs is very fast, raising drugs abuse in North Sumatra to the first position nationally,” he said.
“For years, the province keeps the first place in drugs abuse. This is an extraordinary challenge.”
Bobby, the son-in-law of former president Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, said there were many factors pointing to why North Sumatra has not been able to shake its first place in drug abuse, such as there were so many drug-smuggling entry points into the province.
He added that the drugs were mostly dominated by classical ones, such as sabu (methamphetamine) and ganja. Lately, however, a new type has emerged from vape.
“I want to ask everyone to make a policy, because this is not a new challenge. We want to fight this,” he said.
The governor criticized the vape sales model, which is too free and open in North Sumatra, and can be found easily at shopping centers.
He said that while vape issues were being discussed by the central government, the provincial administration has taken a proactive approach by preparing a legal study for the bylaw.
The National Narcotics Agency (BNN) chief Comr. Gen. Suyudi Ario Seto suggested on April 7 a ban on e-cigarettes or vapes following rampant discovery of narcotics in vape liquid pods, kompas.com reported.
Bobby emphasized that the policy to eradicate the distribution of vapes containing drugs should have legal power instead of a mere plea.
“This step is expected to not only reduce the number of drugs distributions using the e-cigarette or vape method but also to protect the public health from exposure to dangerous substances and creating a more orderly public environment in North Sumatra,” he said.
Recently, Bobby assaulted a state employee, who he believed to be the driver of the president director of a province-owned enterprise (BUMD), while the man was attending a ceremony presenting bonuses to athletes from North Sumatra who won medals at the 2025 SEA Games on April 10.
Commenting on the incident, Bobby told reporters that the man he slapped was a drug user who is also a provincial employee and was paid using the North Sumatra provincial budget.
He said he slapped the man because he spent his government salary to buy drugs.
“Although he is not a direct provincial employee, but of a BUMD, he is paid using our money,” he said.
“BUMD employees still get their money from the provincial administration. He uses his salary to buy drugs. It is inappropriate,” he said, adding that BNN was handling the case.
Meanwhile, North Sumatra BNN chief Brig. Gen. Tatar Nugroho said the province topped the national list for drug abuse with some 1.5 million users.
Nationally, based on a survey by BNN and National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), the prevalence has increased to 2.7 per cent.
“Drug distribution in North Sumatra is relatively still high,” Tatar said recently.
The Narcotics Crimes Investigation (Resnarkoba) Directorate of North Sumatra Police have arrested 1,118 suspects from 923 drugs cases as of Feb 23.
From those cases, Resnarkoba Directorate confiscated 179.95 kg of sabu, 155 kg of ganja, 59,168 ecstasy pills, 243 happy five pills, 900 milliliters of liquid ketamine and 299 vapes containing drugs. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
