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Singapore Law Watch
2 days ago
- Health
- Singapore Law Watch
Government looking at enhancing laws around vaping to tackle issue of drug-laced vapes in Singapore
Government looking at enhancing laws around vaping to tackle issue of drug-laced vapes in Singapore Source: Straits Times Article Date: 13 Jul 2025 Author: Andrew Wong & Zaihan Mohamed Yusof Cases involving e-vaporisers containing psychotropic substances on the rise. Current legislation around vaping may be strengthened following the increased detection in Singapore of electronic vaporisers containing substances such as etomidate and other controlled drugs. Government agencies are considering further steps to better address the vaping issue, including whether current laws for enforcement can be enhanced, the Ministry of Health (MOH) and Ministry of Home Affairs told The Straits Times on July 12. In response to queries, the ministries said the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) has already detected 28 cases where e-vaporiser pods were found to contain etomidate within the first half of 2025. This is nearly three times as many as the 10 cases detected in 2024. Vaping was banned in Singapore in February 2018. Between January 2024 and March 2025, HSA, which is the enforcement agency for vaping-related offences, seized more than $41 million worth of e-vaporisers and their related components. 'The trend of e-vaporisers containing psychotropic substances such as etomidate and controlled drugs has been observed overseas and now in Singapore,' the ministries said in their statement. In April, a 13-year-old girl was detained after she was spotted behaving erratically outside the State Courts while puffing on an e-cigarette. A subsequent raid of her home found that she had an etomidate-laced device, also known as a Kpod, in her possession. HSA later identified and caught the 25-year-old man who sold the e-vaporiser to the girl. One e-vaporiser and three pods seized from him were also found to contain etomidate. The man, his 26-year-old wife and the teenager are all assisting in the investigation. In their statement, the ministries described vaping as a serious issue that MOH has been concerned about. 'With e-vaporisers now incorporating psychotropic substances such as etomidate, the concerns have been heightened.' The ministries said various agencies have been conducting rigorous enforcement to tackle the issue. 'For example, the HSA works closely with agencies such as the Singapore Police Force, Central Narcotics Bureau, Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA), National Parks Board and National Environment Agency (NEA), to enforce against e-vaporisers. 'The Health Promotion Board is also working with the Ministry of Education to raise awareness about the harms of vaping amongst students, and support individuals seeking to stop the habit of vaping through the I Quit Programme,' the ministries added. As part of surveillance and enforcement efforts, the ministries said that HSA targets three key areas: monitoring activities online and at targeted hot spots, disrupting supply chains, and taking action against those who supply or use e-vaporisers. 'HSA has intensified operations against both physical and online distribution networks, strengthened border controls with ICA, and increased enforcement presence in public spaces, together with NEA, where vaping is prevalent,' the ministries said, adding that HSA also takes action against advertisements targeting Singaporeans. As a result, more offences have been detected and offenders taken to task, they added. The ministries noted that etomidate, which is classified as a poison and regulated under the Poisons Act, has clinical use as an anaesthetic agent. It is permitted only in clinical settings and subject to strict conditions. '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,' the ministries said. They added that cases involving etomidate-laced vapes that agencies come across are referred to HSA for further action, similar to other medication-related substances. The ministries said the adverse effects of etomidate when used in vapes can be serious, including causing involuntary movements or spasm of muscles, confusion, seizures and psychosis. 'It can lead to physical dependence,' they added. Enforcement agencies will be stepping up and coordinating closely to take stern action against those who import, sell, distribute, possess, use or purchase e-vaporisers, particularly those laced with etomidate, under the appropriate legislations, the ministries said. The spread of drug-laced e-vaporisers has also raised concerns in Malaysia, where police revealed that 65 per cent of the vape liquids seized since 2023 contained banned substances such as synthetic cannabinoids. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime had reported in May that there has been an increase in the detection of e-vaporisers laced with synthetic drugs and pharmaceutical products like etomidate in East Asia and South-east Asia. Under current laws in Singapore, possessing, using and buying e-vaporisers carry a maximum fine of $2,000. Distributing, importing and selling prohibited tobacco products such as vapes and their components carry a heavier penalty – a fine of up to $10,000, or imprisonment of up to six months, or both. Experts call for legal agility to tackle influx of drug-laced vapes in Singapore Medical experts have called for legal agility to tackle vaping, which they say has evolved into a harmful and dangerous scourge with more drug-laced e-vaporisers detected. Their comments come in the wake of an announcement on July 12 by the Government, which signalled the possibility of tougher enforcement laws to tackle vaping amid a spike in seizures of e-vaporisers laced with the anaesthetic etomidate. Mr Yip Hon Weng, MP for Yio Chu Kang SMC, who agreed that enforcement laws need to be enhanced, noted that Singapore already has some of the world's toughest drug laws. 'But as the landscape evolves, so must our legal tools. 'There is perhaps scope to go further – for example, by explicitly including combo drug-vape products under the Poisons Act, and granting the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) clearer jurisdiction the moment drug traces are detected,' he said. There have been similar legal updates in the past, Mr Yip said, adding that when Subutex and glue sniffing became threats, the law evolved to empower CNB with the tools to respond. The same legislative approach can and should apply to drug-laced vapes, he said. 'Our laws should empower swift updates to controlled substance lists – not wait for the next tragedy to force a response,' added Mr Yip. Singapore's laws around synthetic drugs, or new psychoactive substances (NPS), were amended in June 2024 to regulate them based on their effects rather than specific chemical structures. Further amendments came into effect in 2025 to tackle new compounds that continue to be detected each year. Professor Teo Yik-Ying, dean of the NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, said current laws need to also keep up with the technology used to deliver synthetic drugs. 'Our narcotics laws need to be updated to capture some of these new changes in technology, where the delivery system now is using e-cigarettes and vapes,' he said. 'So, effectively, if I am a police officer and I catch someone with a vape, and I detect that the vape cartridge is actually a Kpod... the person is not just caught for vaping, but also caught for possession of narcotics. 'Suddenly... you will realise that the penalty increases so significantly that people now have a fear of just taking Kpods.' Although vaping has been banned in Singapore since 2018, the Health Sciences Authority still seized more than $41 million worth of e-vaporisers and their related components between January 2024 and March 2025. This is a significant spike from the $95,460 worth of seizures across 2019. In the first nine months of 2024, about 9,680 people were caught using or possessing vapes. This is more than the 7,838 people caught in the whole of 2023. Assistant Professor Yvette van der Eijk from the NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health said that what has encouraged the spread is the marketing of vaping products from other countries. 'If an influencer from, say, Indonesia promotes vaping products, that content can still reach young Singaporeans. 'Also, for a policy to be effective, it must be properly enforced, and people must be aware of its rationale so that they accept the policy. Stronger enforcement in the community and more education would be helpful,' said Prof van der Eijk. Starting young While some have argued for regulating vaping rather than an outright ban, recent studies in Britain have shown that regulations do little to limit access to e-vaporisers, including those laced with drugs. In Britain, vaping is legal for those above the age of 18, although disposable vapes have been banned across all age groups since June 1, 2025, to address environmental concerns and to protect young people from nicotine addiction. Professor Christopher Pudney from the University of Bath in Britain said his research showed that vapers there start young, between the ages of 13 and 16. 'Around the middle of 2023, we started to see a lot of media reports in the UK of children collapsing in schools, associated with vaping,' Prof Pudney told ST. 'So, we just tracked those media reports. And it got to the point where there was almost one report every week of a child collapsing in school, which is obviously insane.' His studies also showed that schoolchildren may be unknowingly smoking vapes spiked with synthetic cannabis, also known as Spice. The researchers in his team found that out of 596 vapes confiscated across 38 schools in England, one in six contained Spice. Prof Pudney, a biotechnology expert, said tests his team conducted have also picked up traces of heroin, MDMA (commonly found in Ecstasy) and ketamine in seized vaporisers. He used the world's first portable device, which is able to detect synthetic drugs in vapes in 30 seconds, to trace the chemicals. Despite these advancements, Prof Pudney said that when a drug in e-vaporisers is detected by the authorities there and made illegal, organised crime groups would subtly change the drug composition and flood the market with the new product. Mr Yip said he is aware that CNB and the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) are already building up rapid-testing and toxicology capabilities to detect novel substances in vape liquids. Etomidate is known to cause a type of muscle spasm called myoclonus, which patients may describe as tremors, said Dr Clare Anne Fong, associate consultant at the Division of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine at National University Hospital and Alexandra Hospital. It can also result in difficulties in processing thoughts and altered sensory experiences, such as numbness and tremors, she added. A person should seek medical attention when he displays such symptoms. 'As the dosing is unpredictable, there is a risk of sudden unconsciousness and respiratory failure, which can be life-threatening,' said Dr Fong. 'Coughing out of blood is also dangerous as it can result in breathing difficulties and low oxygen levels, especially if the volume of blood is large.' Dr Sharen Tian, a family physician at Raffles Medical Group, said that when etomidate is misused via vapes, it can induce euphoria and dissociation, leading to psychological dependence. 'Abusing etomidate through vaping can lead to severe health complications,' she told ST. 'The identified adverse effects include nausea, muscle spasms, respiratory depression, seizures and psychosis.' Initially, adult smokers seeking alternatives were the primary users of e-vaporisers, said Dr Tian. However, recent data indicates a surge in adolescent usage, with cases involving individuals as young as 13 years old. Mr Yip said that current standard hospital tests may not always pick up new synthetic substances unless they are specifically looking for them. Parents should therefore not take a 'clean' test result at face value if their child is showing worrying signs: confusion, seizures, erratic or zombie-like behaviour. 'One way is to insist on a comprehensive toxicology screen, and alert medical professionals to the possibility of vaping-related drug intake,' he said. Mr Yip added that accident and emergency staff, clinicians at the Institute of Mental Health, school counsellors and general practitioners should also be updated regularly on new trends in drug-laced vapes, so they can respond appropriately. 'Most importantly, talk to your children. These are no longer 'just vapes'. They are chemical cocktails disguised in sleek devices – or as I call them, 'vapes with a twist of terror',' he said. Border checks Breaking the wave of e-vaporisers and Kpods requires sharper and more coordinated enforcement, from stepping up checks at the borders to tightening screening at parcel processing centres, said Mr Yip. He added that it is critical to track deliveries and follow the trail to arrest not just buyers, but also the local distributors and peddlers. Singapore Customs and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority already do this with cigarette smuggling syndicates, framing the issue as an obligation to ensure the security and safety of Singapore. 'The same methods of concealment used by contraband smugglers may be used by terrorists to smuggle arms and explosives to carry out attacks in Singapore,' the agencies had said previously. Mr Yip said enforcement efforts must also go digital. 'We should leverage AI-powered surveillance to scan darknet markets, Telegram groups and smuggling forums, where new trends often appear first,' he added. While acknowledging that the authorities are already collaborating across agencies and also working with regional counterparts, Mr Yip said this must be scaled up further. Beyond enforcement, public awareness matters, he said, noting that many people still do not know how to report such offences. Mr Yip added: 'Today, reporting to HSA relies on a weekday office line (it is on their website). A suggestion would be for 24/7 hotlines, online reporting or even integration with the OneService app. 'We also need to reach young people where it matters – on the platforms where syndicates target them, like Telegram and social media. 'Community education, peer-led interventions and even celebrity-driven cautionary campaigns could help shift perceptions.' Mr Yip said that as a father of five young children, he has got 'skin in the game'. 'This is more than just a policy challenge – it is a growing threat in schools, community and online spaces. 'The recent case involving teenagers reportedly behaving erratically after inhaling drug-laced Kpods outside a Punggol mall is not just worrying – it is a red flag. 'These devices are not only illegal, but they are also dangerous and designed to avoid detection,' he added. Zaihan Mohamed Yusof is senior crime correspondent at The Straits Times. Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction. Print
Singapore Law Watch
12-06-2025
- Singapore Law Watch
Removal of mandatory minimum sentences for some dangerous driving offences to kick in from June 12
Removal of mandatory minimum sentences for some dangerous driving offences to kick in from June 12 Source: Straits Times Article Date: 12 Jun 2025 Author: Andrew Wong Annual statistics released by the Traffic Police on Feb 21 showed a five-year high in the number of people killed or injured in accidents across 2024. Updated legislation covering dangerous and careless driving offences, with mandatory minimum sentences for first-time offenders removed, will take effect on June 12. The first tranche of amendments in the Road Traffic (Miscellaneous Amendments) Act will lower the mandatory minimum jail terms for repeat offenders of dangerous driving causing death or grievous hurt to two years' jail and one year's jail, respectively. The mandatory minimum jail term and disqualification period for first-time offenders will also be removed. No changes will be made to the maximum penalties for repeat offenders. Those convicted of dangerous driving causing death can face up to 15 years' jail, while those who cause grievous hurt can be jailed for up to 10 years. In a June 11 statement, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said: 'The courts will have the flexibility to decide on the appropriate sentence in every case, and MHA expects egregious offenders to continue to be subject to stiff penalties.' Annual statistics released by the Traffic Police (TP) on Feb 21 showed a five-year high in the number of people killed or injured in accidents across 2024. The figures showed that of the 139 fatal accidents in 2024, a total of 46 cases – or one in three – were related to speeding. A total of 142 people died in road accidents in 2024. 'MHA continues to be concerned about the road safety situation in Singapore. TP has intensified its enforcement efforts against egregious driving behaviour, including drink driving,' MHA said. 'We recently announced increases in the penalties for speeding offences, and are reviewing other laws and policies to promote a culture of responsible driving and ensure sufficient penalties for offenders.' Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim had said in Parliament on Jan 7 that the amendments do not mean the Government is signalling a more lenient stance towards repeat offenders. Rather, the changes were made to recalibrate the balance between deterrence and proportionality. Prosecutors will also be given more flexibility to proceed on a 'hurt' charge even when 'grievous hurt' is caused, he said. This is to enable the prosecution to take into account other circumstances that could have been involved. They include the nature of the victim's injury and whether other road users were partly responsible for the accident. The refreshed Act will also adjust how motorists' track records affect their classification as repeat offenders for dangerous or careless driving offences. Under the new Act, motorists will be classified as repeat offenders only if they have at least two prior speeding convictions in excess of 40kmh of the road or vehicle's speed limit. At least two of the speeding convictions will also need to have occurred within five years of the dangerous or careless driving offence they are currently facing. Motorists with previous convictions for dangerous or careless driving, or found to have conducted illegal speed trials, will continue to be classified as repeat offenders if found to have committed another similar offence. Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction. Print
Straits Times
01-06-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
6 months' jail for Chinese national who owned 4 shops selling illegal streaming devices in Sim Lim Square
Andrew Wong The Straits Times May 30, 2025 A shop owner at Sim Lim Square was sentenced to jail after admitting to selling illegal streaming devices at the mall. He is the second person in Singapore to be jailed since the Copyright Act was amended in 2021 to ban the sale of such devices that access pirated content. On May 30, Wang Yue, 36, was sentenced to six months' jail while his company Ace Technologies was fined $181,000. He had pleaded guilty to 17 charges related to copyright infringement on March 20. He also pleaded guilty to another 17 copyright-related charges served to Ace Technologies, a company he had incorporated and owned. Another 33 charges were taken into consideration during the sentencing of Wang and his company. Ace Technologies occupied four shop units at Sim Lim Square and sold the illegal streaming devices between 2018 and 2022. These devices were able to access content from Disney, Warner Bros and Discovery Inc, and English Premier League football games. Wang had sourced and purchased the devices from an unnamed overseas supplier. He admitted to instructing his employees to offer the devices for sale by telling customers they would be able to access otherwise copyrighted material with no additional charges. Each device was sold for between $149 and $249. Wang made a profit of between $39 and $99 for each sale, earning up to $18,000 monthly from the sale of the devices. He continued to sell them even after receiving two letters in January and October 2020 from the Football Association Premier League, warning him to stop the sale of the devices as they infringed on the league's copyright. The Chinese national was arrested on Oct 4, 2022, after a raid by officers from the Intellectual Property Rights Branch of the Singapore Police Force. More than 1,000 illegal streaming devices were seized from his shops. Wang's conviction is the second successful one under copyright provisions targeting commercial dealers of illegal streaming devices, after the Copyright Act was amended in 2021 to ban the sale of media streaming boxes with "add-on" services that help consumers access pirated content. In October 2024, Ge Xin, 37, was sentenced to 10 months' jail, while his two shops, MT Gadget+ and Grandnew, were fined $200,000 and $100,000, respectively. In October 2022, police officers raided several retail shops in Sim Lim Square and arrested 17 people for selling illegal streaming devices. In a statement released after Wang's sentencing, Mr Kevin Plumb, general counsel for the Premier League, said: "This case once again sends a message to pirates that their activity will not be tolerated and reminds consumers that buying these devices is a problem. "There are still more cases to follow from the significant raids in 2022, and we thank the Singapore Attorney-General's Chambers and the Intellectual Property Rights Branch of the Singapore Police Force for their commitment to these investigations and prosecutions." Click here to contribute a story or submit it to our WhatsApp Get more of Stomp's latest updates by following us on:
Singapore Law Watch
16-05-2025
- Health
- Singapore Law Watch
Singapore to be part of new NGO coalition to tackle drug trafficking, abuse: Shanmugam
Singapore to be part of new NGO coalition to tackle drug trafficking, abuse: Shanmugam Source: Straits Times Article Date: 16 May 2025 Author: Andrew Wong The group, called the Asia-Pacific Confederation against Drugs (APCD), will push for the creation of drug-free societies and stronger efforts to reduce the demand for drugs. Singapore will be part of a new regional coalition of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the fight against drug trafficking and drug abuse. The group, called the Asia-Pacific Confederation against Drugs (APCD), will push for the creation of drug-free societies and stronger efforts to reduce the demand for drugs. The founding group will include members from Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Hong Kong. On May 15, Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam announced the formation of the coalition and said Singapore will be represented by the Singapore Anti-Narcotics Association. Mr Shanmugam, who was accompanied by Minister of State for Home Affairs and National Development Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, was speaking at the 2025 Asia-Pacific Forum Against Drugs held at Furama RiverFront Hotel in Havelock Road. More than 300 coalition members, NGOs, partners, overseas correctional officers and local government officials are expected to attend the forum, which is taking place from May 15 to 17. Mr Shanmugam, who is also Law Minister, said the APCD will strengthen regional cooperation through joint programmes and speak up against the rising tide of liberal policies and misinformation on drugs. He announced this in the wake of the rising threat of potent synthetic drugs like fentanyl. He said Malaysia had detected traces of the opioid in its sewage systems in March, suggesting that locals were abusing the drug there. Said Mr Shanmugam: '(Fentanyl) is 50 times more potent than heroin, and its effects have been devastating. 'Between 2018 and 2022, or a five-year period, over 250,000 Americans died from fentanyl overdose. In 2022 alone, there were about 200 people dying in the US every single day.' Mr Shanmugam added that deaths from fentanyl overdose in the US outnumbered the number who died in all of America's wars, including World War II and the wars in Korea, Vietnam and Afghanistan. He said that unlike traditional plant-based drugs like cocaine or heroin, synthetic drugs such as methamphetamine, ketamine and fentanyl can be produced anywhere, even in the backyard of someone's house. He noted that Myanmar is already one of the world's largest manufacturers of synthetic drugs and one of the biggest hosts of organised crime in the world. 'The situation in our region is also worrying... This is happening right at our doorstep. But given how interconnected the world is, what happens in Myanmar has deep implications all over the world,' Mr Shanmugam said. He added that the rapid liberalisation of cannabis controls around the world has fuelled an increase in demand. A report by the United Nations estimated that there are 228 million cannabis users globally in 2022. This is despite clear medical evidence that the use of cannabis can cause irreversible brain damage and serious psychiatric disorders, Mr Shanmugam said. Statistics by the Central Narcotics Bureau show that in 2024, more than half of new cannabis abusers arrested in Singapore were below the age of 30, which suggested a growing permissiveness among young people towards the drug. The report showed methamphetamine, heroin and cannabis were the most commonly abused drugs in Singapore that year. Mr Shanmugam said a false narrative that cannabis is a 'soft drug' has been largely driven by commercial entities, similar to how tobacco corporations marketed smoking in the 1990s. '(Tobacco corporations) ran advertisements of doctors saying smoking was good for health. They even introduced flavoured cigarettes to make them more appealing to the younger generation. Cannabis companies are likewise downplaying the risks, driven by profits. 'They are also trying to entice the young,' he said. Mr Shanmugam said he had heard how cannabis lobby groups had argued for the drug's use as a medicinal tool when he attended international forums, including a United Nations forum. He said he would support the use of cannabis for medical use only if a national medical association said it required the drug for treatment. He added: 'But I won't support it if it is some company that is profiting from the use of cannabis that wants to legalise it without any controls, and is trying to do it in the form of candy to 10-year-olds.' Mr Shanmugam stressed that Singapore will remain resolute in maintaining its tough stance against drugs, explaining that countries should be under no illusions about the difficulty in dealing with the global drug problem. He said that the Republic's death penalty is most commonly used for drug traffickers and that these criminals are focused only on making money out of the death and misery of others. He added: 'And so we make our laws very clear. We tell people, you traffic in drugs, you face the death penalty, and we impose it.' Mr Shanmugam said the global drug trade is a multibillion-dollar industry with powerful, vested interests. It exploits the vulnerable, corrupts state institutions, and undermines the will of governments to tackle this problem, undermining the fabric of societies, all for profit, he added. He said: 'Challenging as it may be, we have to press on, because we have morality and right on our side, and it is the right thing to do.' Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction. Print
CNBC
08-05-2025
- Business
- CNBC
Buy this outperforming mining stock that has more than 20% upside, RBC says
Mosaic could be a winner ahead thanks to a tight phosphate market, according to RBC. Analyst Andrew Wong upgraded shares to outperform from sector perform. He also raised his price target to $40 from $30, indicating around 26.7% upside potential from Wednesday's close. Mosaic mines phosphate and potash, which are used as fertilizers globally. Phosphate markets are currently facing limited supply amid steady demand growth — under which Mosaic is well-positioned to benefit, according to Wong. Potash markets face similar conditions, the analyst added. "We also anticipate positive catalysts with several operational initiatives ongoing (increased phosphate production, lower potash costs, higher Brazil distribution volumes) and potential monetization of non-core assets," Wong wrote in a client note on Wednesday. Wong also believes Mosaic, a domestic producer, will benefit under U.S. tariffs. "While operations have been challenged in recent years, we believe management has set out clear plans for operational improvements that if executed well should meaningfully benefit both margins and sales volumes." The upgrade comes a day after Mosaic reported better-than-expected first-quarter earnings. The company also raised its potash production guidance for the full year. Shares have rallied 28.4% in 2025, meaningfully outperforming the S & P 500. That gain makes Mosaic the second best-performing name in the materials sector. Despite the upgrade, analysts are split on the stock. Of the 20 who cover it, 11 rate it a buy or strong buy, per LSEG. Another eight have a hold rating on Mosaic, and one analyst rates it as underperform. The stock advanced an additional 1.3% Thursday before the bell.
