Youth sent to hospital after allegedly vaping and behaving erratically on overhead bridge in Bishan, Singapore News
Responding to queries from AsiaOne, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), who administered aid to the youth at a bus stop along Bishan Road, said that they responded to the incident at around 8.30pm on July 16.
One person was sent to KK Women's and Children's Hospital.
According to a since-deleted post shared to Facebook group Complaint Singapore on Monday, he had been crossing a nearby overhead bridge when he began vaping, Mustsharenews reported.
In photographs of the incident taken by the user who shared the post, the youth allegedly took puffs from his e-vaporiser while walking, head held down.
Soon after, he was seen behaving erratically, staggering and trembling.
A separate photo of the incident allegedly showed the same youth seated on the staircase leading up to the bridge, while concerned members of the public attended to him.
One video also showed him at the bus stop, where he appeared to stumble while attempting to stand straight.
Police officers and SCDF personnel were later pictured at the scene. Expanded hotline service to report vaping-related offences
In a press release on Sunday (July 20), the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) announced that they will be intensifying surveillance and enforcement measures against e-vaporisers.
This includes an expansion of the hotline service to report vaping-related offences, which will now operate daily, from 9am to 9pm.
This comes amid a significant increase in public feedback on vaping-related offences, with the authority receiving over 3,000 reports in 2024 and more than 2,500 reports in the first half of 2025.
The purchase, possession and use of e-vaporisers are illegal under the Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) Act and offenders can be fined up to $2,000.
Possessing or using pods containing etomidate, a controlled substance under the Poisons Act that can cause permanent organ failure and hallucinations, can result in jail of up to two years and a fine of up to $10,000.
[[nid:720428]]
khooyihang@asiaone.com
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
AsiaOne
15 hours ago
- AsiaOne
Etomidate found in blood of 2 people involved in fatal Punggol Road accident in May: HSA, Singapore News
SINGAPORE — Etomidate has been detected in the blood samples of two people involved in a fatal road accident in Punggol Road in May, the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) said on July 25. The pair were riding in a car that collided with a bus at about 2.50pm on May 13. The police discovered 42 e-vaporisers and more than 1,200 pods in the car, with some tested by HSA to contain etomidate, the authority said in a statement. The 30-year-old male driver was conscious when taken to hospital after the accident. His passenger, a 28-year-old woman, was taken unconscious to hospital where she subsequently died. "The driver is currently assisting the police and HSA in investigations regarding both the accident and e-vaporiser-related offences," the authority said. Etomidate, which is used as an anaesthetic agent, is allowed for use only in clinical settings and subject to strict conditions, according to HSA. On July 20, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said the Health and Home Affairs ministries are working to list the substance under the Misuse of Drugs Act, amid a growing trend of e-vaporisers — or vapes — containing the drug. working to list the substance under the Misuse of Drugs Act, "The etomidate found in e-vaporisers or supplied in oil capsules or formulations to be inhaled directly into users' lungs are not medical products and are prohibited," HSA said in its statement. When used in vapes, etomidate can have serious adverse effects, it added. This includes causing involuntary movements or spasms of muscles, confusion, seizures and psychosis. It can also lead to physical dependence. Etomidate is currently listed under the Poisons Act. Under this law, abusers face a fine and sellers can face up to two years in jail. With etomidate listed as a Class C drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act in future, HSA said this will enable tougher actions against suppliers and users of vapes with etomidate. Users can be subject to supervision and mandatory participation in a rehabilitation programme or committed to drug rehabilitation centres, similar to drug abusers. Those who repeatedly reoffend or commit other serious offences can also be jailed for at least a year. "HSA strongly warns consumers who are using e-vaporisers to stop its use immediately," it said. Possessing, using or buying vapes carries a maximum fine of $2,000. Anyone who distributes, imports or sells vapes and their components can be jailed for up to six months and fined up to $10,000 for the first offence. Reoffenders can face up to a year in jail and fined up to $20,000. [[nid:718014]] This article was first published in The Straits Times . Permission required for reproduction.
New Paper
3 days ago
- New Paper
All Kpod cases to be recorded, vapes must be confiscated: MOH, HSA
In a sign that the health authorities are treating vapes laced with etomidate more seriously, public healthcare institutions have been told to record all suspected and confirmed etomidate-linked vaping cases. In a circular from the Ministry of Health (MOH) and Health Sciences Authority (HSA) dated July 9, they said medical practitioners should also get patients to surrender their e-vaporisers and consider sending their urine samples for testing. This is because both authorities noticed that between 2024 and 2025, there had been a worrying increase in the number of e-vaporisers detected containing etomidate in Singapore. Such devices are also known as "Kpods", which the authorities have recently intensified crackdowns on. The circular highlighted the report in March by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, which said etomidate had been notably detected in illicit drug markets in East and South-east Asia. Etomidate is a medicinal ingredient used in clinical practice as an anaesthetic agent and is classified as a poison under the Poisons Act. This means a licence is required for its importation or sale. Etomidate found in vapes or supplied in oil capsules or formulations to be inhaled directly into users' lungs are not medical products and are prohibited. Under the Act, those found in possession of or using pods containing etomidate can be jailed for up to two years, fined up to $10,000, or both. MOH and HSA said that because of the rising concerns, they are studying the harm and addictiveness of etomidate use in vapes, through those who seek medical attention. They said these studies will inform and shape policy, including whether existing regulations need to be tightened or amended. On July 12, MOH and the Ministry of Home Affairs said they were considering further steps to better address the vaping issue, including whether current laws for enforcement could be enhanced. The number of cases involving etomidate-laced vape pods has nearly tripled in Singapore to 28 cases in the first six months of 2025, compared with 10 in the whole of 2024. The MOH-HSA circular was addressed to emergency departments, urgent care centres, departments of psychiatry of public healthcare institutions, and the National Addictions Management Service Centre at the Institute of Mental Health. In it, the authorities said medical practitioners should reassure patients that enforcement actions will not be taken against them for previous vape use if they voluntarily come forward to seek medical help. Medical practitioners were told to observe symptoms and signs like seizures, dizziness, confusion, slurred speech, coughing, arrhythmias and thermal injury to airways. In the circular, the authorities invoked powers under the Healthcare Services Act, requiring licensed medical practitioners to comply with the instructions. Those who fail to do so can be jailed for up to a year and fined up to $10,000. During medical consultation, medical practitioners should confiscate the vapes, place them in ziplock bags and lock them up. They should also consider sending patients' urine samples to HSA for toxicology testing. MOH and HSA said members of the public who have sought assistance through the Health Promotion Board's (HPB) QuitLine may be directed to seek medical help at public health institutions' emergency departments. After treatment, these emergency departments may refer patients to the QuitLine on 1800-438-2000 for continued support. Participants of HPB's I Quit programme need not worry about being fined or prosecuted, as it does not presume they have or use vaping products. But if they are caught using or possessing such items, then they will be prosecuted. MOH and HSA previously said that more than $41 million worth of vapes and related components were seized between January 2024 and March 2025. More than 14,600 people were caught by the authorities in 2024, compared with just 4,916 in 2022.
AsiaOne
3 days ago
- AsiaOne
Health hazard or harmless hue: Should you be worried about the food dye in your kaya and Thai tea?, Lifestyle News
If you've ever ordered kaya toast or Thai milk tea, chances are you've encountered Sunset Yellow FCF, a synthetic food dye commonly used in drinks, sweets and snacks. FCF stands for "for colouring food", meaning the dye has been specifically manufactured and certified for use in food. Recently in Thailand, alarm bells were raised about the yellow-orange dye's safety after the country's consumer council had revealed that high levels of it were found in Thai tea products sold there, according to an article by Bangkok Post. In response to those concerns, the Bangkok Post said that several major Thai drink brands have launched Thai tea products featuring natural colouring alternatives instead. In Singapore, Sunset Yellow FCF, also known as E110, is found in a variety of consumer products, from food like kaya, candies and snacks to beverages, according to the Singapore Food Agency (SFA). While it has been certified to be safe for use, could there be cause for some concern in Singapore? Dr Vinayak Ghate, lecturer at the Department of Food Science and Technology at the National University of Singapore, shared with AsiaOne that Sunset Yellow FCF is thought to be linked to several health concerns. He shared that in humans, it has been linked to mild allergic-like reactions such as hives, abdominal discomfort or hyperactivity, particularly in sensitive children; while in animals, it has been associated with chromosome damage and kidney tumours. But here is where context is important. According to Dr Ghate, those associations are only made at high doses "well beyond permissible limits". "It's worth noting that such health concerns can be raised for many, if not all, food additives and ingredients when consumed in excess. As toxicology reminds us, the dose makes the poison," he said. A search online by AsiaOne also showed that while several studies have attempted to establish a link between the dye and health concerns like cancer and hyperactivity in children, the results were inconclusive. But should Singaporeans be worried given how widely the dye is used here? According to SFA — in response to a forum letter in The Straits Times regarding the safety of petroleum-based synthetic dyes in food and drinks such as Sunset Yellow FCF — the agency takes "a science-based risk management approach that is consistent with international standards to ensure food safety". It added that synthetic colouring compounds allowed for use in food in Singapore "must first be assessed by SFA to be safe for consumption" and that when assessing the safety of such colourings, it takes reference from the assessments by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives. Additionally, to keep up with scientific updates, SFA conducts reviews on food safety standards periodically to closely monitor for new scientific evidence and "engages other regulators on the impact of synthetic food colourings on human health". SFA's website also states that "under the Singapore Food Regulations, only permitted colourings are allowed to be used in food and SFA has in place a food sampling and testing programme to ensure compliance with these regulations". Dr Ghate also reassured that there is no need for concern over synthetic dyes like Sunset Yellow FCF. "The level of Sunset Yellow FCF, like any food dye, is carefully controlled in processed food to be within the permissible limit. Hence, there is no reason to be concerned about its presence in our food," he said. This is backed by SFA, which stated in an article on its website explaining how it ensures that food additives are safe and that "the levels of permitted food additives used, both in imported or locally manufactured food, must also be within the maximum levels allowed under the Singapore Food Regulations". But are food additives and colourings like Sunset Yellow FCF unhealthy in general? According to Dr Ghate, the safety of an ingredient or food additive is not decided by whether it's natural or synthetic, but by its dose. He explained: "The first principle of toxicology states that the dose makes the poison. No substance is absolutely safe and no substance is absolutely harmful. "It is the dose that decides whether a substance is harmful or not. Similarly, Sunset Yellow FCF is safe when consumed within permissible limits." On its website, SFA states that food additives have "various useful functions in food", such as: Improving taste, texture or appearance; Improving or maintaining nutritional value; Preserving food to ensure its safety during shelf-life. As for why Sunset Yellow FCF has such a bad reputation to some, Dr Ghate shared that it might be due to chemophobia, an "irrational fear of chemicals". "Humans are wired for preferring substances that appear natural (this is called 'appeal to nature') over those that appear synthetic, even though this has no bearing on how good they are for our body," he explained. And while it's considered safe here, countries in the European Union have made it mandatory to put warning labels on products containing artificial dyes like Sunset Yellow FCF. Dr Ghate explained that the regulatory limits of an additive are decided by a few factors including: scientific evidence, public sensitivities as well as political culture. "Some jurisdictions are known to be more conservative than others. It is worth noting that this is not purely a scientific exercise," he explained. "Even on the scientific front, there are many studies that have to be weighed in before arriving at a decision. Studies may use different biological markers, different animal models or different experimental designs. Regulatory bodies of different countries may choose to weight these studies differently, depending on what applies best to their own population," he added. As for those who are still concerned or prefer to err on the side of caution, are there any alternatives to synthetic dyes like Sunset Yellow FCF? According to Dr Ghate, there are several options specific to Sunset Yellow FCF such as curcumin (a naturally occurring compound in turmeric), riboflavin (a vitamin found in various food sources like dairy, meats, fish and vegetables like spinach and mushrooms) and lutein (a pigment commonly found in egg yolk as well as yellow and orange fruits and vegetables). However, he also noted that their "suitability under processing conditions, stability during the product's shelf-life and effect on taste and texture need to be considered before using them as replacements". [[nid:714614]]
