‘Kpods broke our marriage, shattered our children': Woman on husband's vape addiction

Straits Times

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SINGAPORE – The first sign that something was amiss was when Mary's (not her real name) husband shut himself inside the bedroom, ignoring his wife and two young sons.
The once loving husband and father turned violent, wrecking things at home, kicking doors in the middle of the night. One day, he collapsed in the living room, his body slouched against the wall, with a vape in hand.
Since The Straits Times launched its anti-vaping campaign,
Vaping: The Invisible Crisis , on July 13, several readers have written in to share their experiences about loved ones vaping.
Some said they never knew the effects vapes had on a user's health, while others called for vaping legislation to be strengthened.
Three readers e-mailed ST about how vaping and Kpods, which contain
the powerful anaesthetic drug etomidate , have ruined their families.
Used in hospitals for inducing sedation during medical procedures, etomidate is designed to be injected directly into the veins under clinical supervision and never intended to be inhaled.
When vaped, etomidate enters the lungs directly, potentially triggering spasms, breathing difficulties, seizures and even psychosis.
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Sons scared of father
For years, the two boys, aged seven and nine, had always known their father to be a loving and doting man.
But everything changed when the man, 41, used Kpods.
Mary, 35, said her husband was so depressed he could not work, and got fired from his technician job.
Mary, who works in marketing, said her husband spiralled into repeated episodes of violence, emotional outbursts and dangerous behaviour while using Kpods.
One night, the family heard him destroying things around the home as they hid in the bedroom. The next morning, they saw their microwave badly damaged.
The microwave that Mary's husband damaged and destroyed after using Kpods.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF MARY
Mary's younger son, who has autism, became afraid of his father.
She said: 'They used to be close and would play badminton together. But he soon became fearful of his father. My husband would also snap at my older son. He was traumatised and anxious after being yelled at so many times.'
In May, Mary moved to her mother's place with her sons, and has filed for divorce.
She said: 'We dated for 10 years and were married for nine. Now, I don't even know who he is any more. Kpods broke our marriage and shattered our children.'
Calling for stronger laws to tackle vaping, Mary added: 'I don't want another family to go through what we went through.'
'My sons are like zombies'
One mother, who wanted to be known only as Ms Lim, 53, said she had seen her sons experience seizures from Kpods.
When her 27-year-old son got a job as an antique shop assistant after his release from prison in July 2024, Ms Lim was hopeful about his future.
Then, he was introduced to Kpods at a nightclub. He became sluggish, skipped work often and got fired.
The Singaporean homemaker lives with her husband, who works overseas. She said: 'I can monitor my (older) son only using the CCTV in our home. I see him walking around like a zombie, and my neighbours would tell me they see him walking unsteadily and vaping openly in the park.'
Her younger son was also addicted to vapes before he was convicted and jailed for assault in February.
Ms Lim sent ST videos of her younger son trembling and struggling to close the gate to their flat after using Kpods in 2024.
Her older son was fined by the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) four times for vaping.
She said: 'Every time he gets fined and his Kpods get confiscated, he just gets new ones.'
Ms Lim's 27-year-old son (left) using Kpods.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF MS LIM
Ms Lim said her older son has attempted suicide three times due to Kpods.
In February, she bought him an e-bike after he promised to quit Kpods and get a job as a deliveryman.
She found out he sold the e-bike to gamble and buy more vapes.
Ms Lim said: 'I hope possessing and using vapes will become a crime that offenders can be jailed for. If that means my son getting jailed, then so be it. Because once he is behind bars, he will no longer have access to Kpods.'
Possessing, using and buying e-vaporisers carry a maximum fine of $2,000.
She added: 'My (older) son has attempted suicide before, and we have stopped him. But if he continues using Kpods, it would only be a matter of time before he dies.'
Daughter vaped in toilet with boys
When Sara (not her real name) received a call from her daughter, 13, at 4.30am to fetch her from a mall in Yishun, she feared the worst.
The teen had been caught by the police vaping in a handicap-accessible toilet with three older boys.
Sara, 55, who works in social services and is widowed, first found the girl's vape stash in her drawer in 2024.
Different types of vapes belonging to Sara's 13-year-old daughter.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF SARA
Sara said: 'She used to vape secretly, but then vaped openly. She was caught vaping in Orchard (Road) and in Serangoon.'
Sara said she had approached agencies for help, but still feels helpless.
Her daughter is at a residential girls' home undergoing rehabilitation.
To fuel her addiction, she would borrow money from friends and sell her clothes and make-up online for quick cash. She even stole money from her late father's drawer.
Sara said: 'I have gone beyond depression, helplessness, tears and frustration. I need to maintain the relationship I have with her. That is all I have.
'But when I remind her about the damaging health effects vaping has, she just sniggers at me. I am at my wits' end.'
Referring to ST's anti-vape campaign, she said: 'With this push, I hope there will be a review of the law and (it will) open up space for conversations on this issue. Kids are suffering. Parents are suffering.'
Classify etomidate as a drug: Vikram Nair
Mr Vikram Nair, chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Home Affairs and Law, acknowledged the growing problem of vaping in Singapore and called for a much stricter regime for etomidate.
Mr Nair, who is an MP for Sembawang GRC, said: 'I am in favour of etomidate being classified as a drug. The main purpose is for harsher penalties for those trafficking it. This would also permit ordering mandatory treatment for addicts and those caught using it.'
Referring to the ST video of
an HSA officer diving into a moving car to stop a suspected vape peddler from escaping, Mr Nair said: 'HSA is doing the best they can about this issue. I have seen stories on their crackdowns and the dramatic video with the car.
'But if the penalties are somewhat limited after their arrests, there is only so much that can be done under the current framework.'
Former Jurong GRC MP Tan Wu Meng said more than 10 Clementi residents, mostly young parents, had spoken to him in 2025 of their concerns of vaping before he retired from politics in April.
He said one 13-year-old girl told him she was worried her friends could get vapes so easily.
In January and March, Dr Tan raised the issue in Parliament. He brought up a case of a parent reporting the child to the police for vaping, and the child getting fined by HSA. Dr Tan then called for agencies to consider helping children curb their addiction rather than handing them fines.
He told ST: 'We won't want vaping to be a crack in Singapore's defences against illegal drugs. So, the legislation needs to be looked at, and the agencies need to study ways to handle such vaping devices more effectively and with more muscle.'