Vaping, Kpods and teenage risk-taking: An old problem in a new world
When a grieving father in Singapore
recently shared how he lost his 19-year-old daughter to Kpod addiction, it struck a chord. His grief was raw, his words honest. His decision to speak out was not merely an act of remembrance. It was a warning to all of us.
He is far from alone. Increasing numbers of teenagers here are turning to vaping and, more worryingly, to vape pods laced with sedatives such as ketamine or etomidate, known as Kpods. These devices look sleek, smell fruity and are easy to hide, but the harm they cause can be permanent.
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Singapore Law Watch
2 days ago
- Singapore Law Watch
MHA to support HSA's crackdown on Kpod abusers and help in treatment of offenders: Shanmugam
MHA to support HSA's crackdown on Kpod abusers and help in treatment of offenders: Shanmugam Source: Straits Times Article Date: 31 Jul 2025 Author: Andrew Wong As an interim measure, the Ministry of Home Affairs will list etomidate as a Class C drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act, while it continues to support the Ministry of Health as it decides on further legislative actions to take against Kpod offenders. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) will second its officers to the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) to tackle the scourge of etomidate-laced vaporisers, also known as Kpods. On July 30, Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam said this comes after a request for assistance from the Ministry of Health (MOH). Speaking to the media on the sidelines of an SGSecure event, Mr Shanmugam said officers from his ministry will assist HSA with enforcement efforts, including the supervision, treatment and rehabilitation of etomidate abusers. Mr Shanmugam, who is also Coordinating Minister for National Security, said: 'The cases you hear about are distressing. The abusers of etomidate lose control of themselves, they put themselves in dangerous positions. They become vulnerable. They become zombies.' He said that as an interim measure, MHA will list etomidate as a Class C drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act (MDA), while his ministry continues to support MOH as it decides on further legislative actions to take against Kpod offenders. This comes after Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said on July 20 that MOH and MHA were working together to list etomidate under the MDA. Mr Ong had said the interim measure will be enacted in the coming weeks. Etomidate is classified as a poison and regulated under the Poisons Act. It has clinical use as an anaesthetic agent, and is permitted only in clinical settings and subject to strict conditions. Under this law, abusers face only a fine. Sellers face possible jail time of up to two years. If etomidate is listed as a Class C drug, users can be subjected to supervision and mandatory participation in a rehabilitation programme or committed to drug rehabilitation centres, like what drug abusers undergo. Those who reoffend or commit other serious offences can also be jailed for at least a year. Mr Shanmugam drew parallels between etomidate abuse and drug abuse, pointing to a report in The Sunday Times on July 27 of a mother lamenting her son's addiction to Kpods. Mr Shanmugam said: 'She feels helpless and feels there is no way for her to help her son. Now, this is the damage that vapes laced with etomidate have done within just a short period. This is not just one story. There are many such instances. 'For drugs, the consequences if we take a light approach will be multiplied several fold compared with what you are seeing with etomidate.' Mr Shanmugam said that many ambassadors, foreign ministers and activist groups have told him that Singapore's drug laws are harsh and that the Republic's approach is wrong. Tough measures But he defended Singapore's tough stance. He said: 'Whose streets are safer? Where do parents feel that they can bring up their children in safety? So I tell them, look, you look after yourselves. We (will) look after Singaporeans, and Singaporeans support our policies.' Mr Shanmugam said enforcement and awareness efforts surrounding Kpods may be similar to how MHA deals with hard drugs, adding that such efforts could start in schools and with parents, as vape users are starting the habit at a younger age. He said: 'Our public education on drugs also starts very young and this is something we will have to discuss with MOH, and MOH will have to decide how they want to bring it across and how they want to do the public education for young children.' Several teachers recently told ST how schools were grappling with vapes, with offenders starting the habit in primary schools. Both ministries had told ST on July 12 that they were considering enhancing laws around vaping, to tackle the scourge. Between January 2024 and March 2025, HSA had seized more than $41 million worth of vapes and their components. On July 20, Mr Ong, who is also Coordinating Minister for Social Policies, had said Kpods made up a third of more than 100 randomly tested seized vapes. He said several deaths here, including from traffic accidents and unnatural deaths, have been linked to etomidate. On July 25, HSA said two people involved in a fatal road accident in Punggol Road tested positive for etomidate in their blood samples. The pair were in a car that collided with a bus at about 2.50pm on May 13. They had 42 e-vaporisers and more than 1,200 pods in the vehicle, with some containing etomidate. The 30-year-old male driver is assisting with investigations. His passenger, a 28-year-old woman, died in hospital. The authorities have recently increased efforts to tackle the vaping crisis. On July 9, MOH and HSA issued a circular to public healthcare institutions, telling them to record all suspected and confirmed etomidate-linked vaping cases and to get patients to surrender their vapes. On July 16, HSA said it had taken down more than 600 Telegram groups advertising or selling vapes and Kpods to Singaporeans since April 2024. And on July 25, the Bin The Vape initiative was launched. Vape disposal bins were installed at 23 community clubs and one residents' network centre, where users can throw away the devices without fear of punishment. To report vaping-related offences, call the HSA reporting hotline on 6684-2036 or 6684-2037 from 9am to 9pm daily, including on public holidays. The public can do so online at If you have a story to share about vapes, e-mail us at [email protected] Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction. Print
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Straits Times
TTSH initiative aims to address osteoporosis in older patients with wrist fractures
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox SINGAPORE - In 2020, Mr Chong Kee Kong was on an escalator with his grandson when the boy bent down to pick up his pacifier and lost his footing. While trying to stop his grandson from falling, Mr Chong, now 79, tumbled down the escalator himself, earning an abrasion and a fractured left wrist. After undergoing surgery to repair the fracture, Mr Chong found out that he had osteoporosis – a bone disease characterised by an increased fracture risk due to the deterioration of bone tissue. To help people like him, Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) has started a service aimed at proactively diagnosing osteoporosis in patients aged 50 and above who have had wrist fractures, and managing their conditions. TTSH hand and reconstructive microsurgery department senior consultant Mala Satku said the hospital sees about 600 people aged 50 and above with distal radius fractures, or broken wrists, each year. In 2022, the hospital reviewed more than 2,500 patients aged 50 and above who had suffered low-impact wrist fractures between 2013 and 2016. It found that of the 1,034 patients who had undergone subsequent screening, 56 per cent were found to have osteoporosis, while 37.4 per cent were found to have osteopenia, a less severe condition which can eventually lead to osteoporosis. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Water supply issues during Toa Payoh blaze affected firefighting operations; SCDF investigating Singapore MHA to support HSA's crackdown on Kpod abusers and help in treatment of offenders: Shanmugam Singapore Tampines, Toa Payoh BTO flats most popular among first-time home buyers in July HDB launch Sport Leon Marchand sets first world record at World Aquatics C'ships in Singapore Singapore Jail, fine for man linked to case involving 3 bank accounts that received over $680m in total Singapore Provision shop owner who raped 11-year-old gets more than 14 years' jail Singapore School, parents on alert after vape peddlers approach primary school pupil Singapore Escape, discover, connect: Where new memories are made The findings of the study were published in The Journal Of Hand Surgery (Asian-Pacific Volume) in 2022. As Singapore's population ages – with a quarter of the country's population expected to be aged 65 and above by 2030 – wrist fractures are increasingly becoming a concern, Dr Mala said, noting the average age of patients with such fractures to be about 68. While osteoporosis is sometimes thought of as a women's disease, it also affects men, she said, noting that one in five men have osteoporosis, compared with one in three women. She said that while older patients with hip and spine fractures are often screened for osteoporosis, this is not the case for those with wrist fractures. However, wrist fractures can be an indicator of a greater risk of hip and spine fractures, she added. 'Studies have shown that anyone with a wrist fracture has a 5.6 times higher risk of a hip fracture compared with someone who doesn't have a wrist fracture,' she said. Addressing osteoporosis in patients with wrist fracture can help reduce this risk, said Dr Mala . She said studies have shown that active osteoporosis care after a patient suffers a wrist fracture can lead to an 86 per cent reduction in hip fractures, as well as a 65 per cent reduction in all other subsequent fractures. The new initiative, said Dr Mala who is leading it, involves first treating the wrist fracture, either through surgery or the use of a cast. A bone mineral density scan, typically done using a low-radiation X-ray to measure the presence of minerals such as calcium in bone, is conducted to diagnose osteoporosis. During follow-up visits, patients undergo rehabilitation and monitoring of the fracture. 'At the same time, there is also evaluation and treatment of osteoporosis by our panel nurses,' she said, noting that this is often done during the same appointment to save patients' time. Even after their fractures heal, patients whose bone densities remain low are referred to polyclinics or their general practitioners for ongoing management. Osteoporosis treatment is typically a long-term affair, conducted across three to five years, with regular reviews and scans done at the TTSH Hand Surgery Clinic. Treatment can include shots of the drug denosumab, to strengthen bone, in addition to exercise and adjusting a patient's diet to include more calcium. The programme has seen a 60 per cent increase in the number of wrist fracture patients screened for osteoporosis at TTSH after a pilot, which ran between 2021 and 2023, Dr Mala said. Meanwhile, the number of patients seen for osteoporosis care after wrist fractures tripled between 2022 and 2025 under the programme, which won merit awards at the NHG Quality Day Awards in 2022 and 2023. TTSH aims to expand the service to other institutions under the NHG Health cluster. 'We would like as many patients as possible to benefit from this programme and discussions are in place,' said Dr Mala, noting however, that a timeline for such an expansion had not yet been set. Mr Chong has since recovered from the fracture, and said the interventions have helped him get stronger, in addition to addressing his osteoporosis. 'I can now carry up to 5kg,' he said.
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Straits Times
On Gaza malnutrition ward, a child's arm is as wide as mother's thumb
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip - On the pink walls of Nasser hospital's child malnutrition ward, cartoon drawings show children running, smiling, and playing with flowers and balloons. Beneath the pictures, a handful of Gazan mothers watch over their babies who lie still and largely silent, mostly too exhausted by severe hunger to cry. The quiet is common in places treating the most acutely malnourished, doctors told Reuters, a sign of bodies shutting down. "She is always lethargic, lying down, like this… you do not find her responsive," said Zeina Radwan, mother of 10-month-old Maria Suhaib Radwan. She has not been able to find milk or enough food for her baby, and cannot breastfeed as she herself is underfed, surviving on one meal a day. "My children and I cannot live without nutrition." Over the last week, Reuters journalists spent five days in Nasser Medical Complex, one of only four centres left in Gaza able to treat the most dangerously hungry children. Gaza's food stocks have been running out since Israel, at war with Palestinian militant group Hamas since October 2023, cut off all supplies to the territory in March. That blockade was lifted in May but with restrictions that Israel says are needed to prevent aid being diverted to militant groups. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Water supply issues during Toa Payoh blaze affected firefighting operations; SCDF investigating Singapore MHA to support HSA's crackdown on Kpod abusers and help in treatment of offenders: Shanmugam Singapore Tampines, Toa Payoh BTO flats most popular among first-time home buyers in July HDB launch Singapore Bukit Panjang LRT to shut on 2 Sundays to facilitate tests; some upgrading work nearing completion Singapore Jail, fine for man linked to case involving 3 bank accounts that received over $680m in total Singapore Provision shop owner who raped 11-year-old gets more than 14 years' jail Singapore School, parents on alert after vape peddlers approach primary school pupil Business S'pore's economic resilience will face headwinds in second half of 2025 from tariffs, trade conflicts: MAS As stocks ran out, the situation escalated in June and July, with the World Health Organization warning of mass starvation and images of emaciated children shocking the world. The Gaza health ministry says 151 people, including 89 children, have died of malnutrition, most in recent weeks. A global hunger monitor said on Tuesday that a famine scenario is unfolding. Israel says it has no aim to starve Gaza. This week it announced steps to allow more aid in, including pausing fighting in some locations, air dropping food and offering more secure routes. The United Nations said the scale of what is needed is vast in order to stave off famine and avert a health crisis. "We need milk for babies. We need medical supplies. We need some food, special food for nutritional department," said Dr Ahmed al-Farra, head of the paediatric and maternity department in Nasser Medical Complex. "We need everything for the hospitals." Israeli officials say many of those who died while malnourished in Gaza were suffering from pre-existing illnesses. Famine experts say this is typical in the early stages of a hunger crisis. "Children with underlying conditions are more vulnerable. They get affected earlier," said Marko Kerac, clinical associate professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, who helped draw up the WHO's treatment guidelines for severe acute malnutrition. Farra said his hospital was now dealing with malnourished children with no previous health problems, like baby Wateen Abu Amounah, born healthy nearly three months ago and now weighing 100 grams less than she weighed at birth. "During the past three months she did not gain one gram. On the contrary the child's weight decreased," the doctor said. "There is total loss of muscles. It's only skin on top of bones, which is an indication that the child has entered a severe malnutrition phase," said Farra. "Even the face of the child: she has lost fat tissues from her cheeks." The baby's mother, Yasmin Abu Sultan, gestures at the child's limbs, her arms about as wide as her mother's thumb. "Can you see? These are her legs... Look at her arms," she said. SUPPLIES RUNNING OUT, FEW SPACES IN HOSPITAL The youngest babies in particular need special therapeutic formulas made with clean water, and supplies are running low, Farra and the WHO told Reuters. "All the key supplies for the treatment of severe acute malnutrition, including medical complications, are really running out," said Marina Adrianopoli, WHO nutrition lead for the Gaza response. "It's really a critical situation." The treatment centres are also operating beyond capacity, she said. In the first two weeks of July, more than 5,000 children under five received outpatient treatment for malnutrition, with 18% suffering from the severest form. That was a surge from 6,500 in the whole of June, already the highest of the war and almost certainly an underestimate, said the WHO. Seventy-three children with malnutrition and complications were hospitalised in July, up from 39 in June. Hospital places are scarce. Baby Wateen's mother said she tried to get the girl admitted last month, but the centre was full. After ten days with no milk available and barely a meal a day for the rest of the family, she returned last week because her daughter's condition was deteriorating. Like several of the infants at Nasser, Wateen also has a recurring fever and diarrhoea, illnesses that malnourished children are more vulnerable to and which make their condition more dangerous. "If she stays like this, I'm going to lose her," her mother said. Wateen remains in hospital getting treatment, where her mother encourages her to take tiny sips from a bottle of formula milk. A side-effect of severe malnutrition is, counter-intuitively, loss of appetite, doctors told Reuters. Yasmin herself lives on the one meal a day provided by the hospital. Some of the other babies Reuters met, like 10-month-old Maria, were discharged over the weekend after gaining weight, and given formula milk to take home with them. But others, like five-month-old Zainab Abu Haleeb, did not make it. Vulnerable to infection because of her severely malnourished state, she died on Saturday of sepsis. Her parents carried her tiny body out of the hospital for burial, wrapped in a white shroud. REUTERS
