JAKARTA -- Few countries in the world can compare with Indonesia in the production of tobacco or the consumption of cigarettes. It is therefore surprising to see a boom in the sale of tobacco-free vaporizers -- a type of e-cigarette -- as a way to quit smoking.
E-cigarettes have been on the market since 2003. Mechanical personal vaporizers, however, were only introduced a few years ago. Sales are still unregulated, and new specialized shops are popping up online and in low-end malls.
