Latest news with #Etomidate
Straits Times
a day ago
- Health
- Straits Times
ST Explains: What does it mean for etomidate to be listed under the Misuse of Drugs Act?
Etomidate, an addictive substance found in vapes, will soon be listed under the Misuse of Drugs Act. SINGAPORE – Etomidate, which is increasingly being abused through e-vaporisers , will be reclassified under the Misuse of Drugs Act (MDA). Offences under the Act carry heavier sentencing and mandatory rehabilitation. Announcing this on July 20, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said it was now necessary to take stronger action, with the growing trend of e-vaporisers or vapes containing the drug. Kpods, which are vape juice mixed with etomidate, have been touted by online sellers to be undetectable by urine tests. What other drugs fall under MDA, and what are the penalties for the trafficking, possession and consumption of these? The Straits Times explains. 1. What is etomidate? Etomidate is an anaesthetic agent used in clinical practice to induce sedation. It is currently controlled under the Poisons Act, which restricts its use to licensed medical professionals. Under the Poisons Act, those caught possessing, using or trafficking pods containing etomidate face a maximum fine of $10,000 and/or a prison term of two years. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Asia At least 19 killed as Bangladesh air force plane crashes into college campus Singapore Subsidies and grants for some 20,000 people miscalculated due to processing issue: MOH Singapore 2 workers stranded on gondola dangling outside Raffles City Tower rescued by SCDF Business Why Singapore and its businesses stand to lose with US tariffs on the region Singapore NTU introduces compulsory cadaver dissection classes for medical students from 2026 Singapore Fine, driving ban for bus driver who hit lorry in BKE crash, causing fractures to passenger Singapore Jail for man who conspired with another to bribe MOH agency employee with $18k Paris trip Singapore New research institute will grow S'pore's talent in nuclear energy, safety 2. Why is there a need to reclassify etomidate? Vapes, often used to deliver nicotine, are banned in Singapore under the Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) Act. Besides nicotine, vapes have been found to contain even more harmful substances such as etomidate and ketamine. Mr Ong said that in a recent seizure of 100 vapes, a third were found to contain etomidate. Etomidate is meant to be administrated intravenously under strict medical supervision. Inhaling etomidate into the lungs through vapes can cause failure of vital organs. It can also induce confusion, tremors and unsteady gait, leading to falls and accidents. Accounts have surfaced of Kpods triggering erratic, violent and zombie-like behaviour in users . Like other substance addictions, etomidate can alienate the addict from loved ones. Readers have recounted their experiences of etomidate-laced vapes destroying their marriage and straining relationships with their children. Many have called for harsher penalties for those trafficking it, and for better coordination among agencies to help children curb their addiction rather than hand them fines. This would include ordering mandatory treatment for addicts and those caught using it. Professor Teo Yik Ying, dean of the NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, for one, had proposed that current laws keep up with the technology – e-cigarettes and vapes – used to deliver synthetic drugs. '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,' he said. Former Jurong GRC MP Tan Wu Meng, who had previously brought up the vaping issue in Parliament, said the scourge is concerning as Kpods could be a gateway for users to try harder drugs. 3. What does listing etomidate under the Misuse of Drugs Act mean? There are plans to reclassify etomidate as a Class C drug under the MDA. It will share this category with other substances which have lower potential for harm than Class A and Class B drugs, but are still dangerous enough to warrant strict control. Stimulants like mephentermine and pipadrol, and the hypnotic drug Erimin-5 (nimetazepam) are examples of Class C drugs. These substances may have legitimate medical uses, but are harmful when used in an unregulated manner. Here is what listing etomidate as a Class C drug would entail: a. Stiffer penalties The MDA imposes a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of $20,000 for possession or use of controlled drugs. It also demands supervision and mandatory rehabilitation for drug addicts. The addict must remain at a rehabilitation centre for 12 months unless he or she is discharged earlier. For traffickers of controlled drugs, the MDA imposes even harsher penalties. Under the Poisons Act, the maximum penalty for trafficking controlled poisons is the same as that for possession or use: two years' prison term, a fine of $10,000, or both. In contrast, trafficking a Class C drug under the MDA will carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and five strokes of the cane. b. Whole-of-government effort in enforcement against etomidate-laced vapes The classification of etomidate as a Class C drug is a recognition of the scale of the vape problem here. The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) has seen an increase in reports on vaping-related offences, from more than 3,000 reports in 2024 to more than 2,500 reports in the first half of 2025. 4. How have agencies stepped up efforts recently? Mr Ong said on July 20 that various agencies – the National Parks Board, National Environment Agency, police, Health Sciences Authority and Land Transport Authority – are already coordinating enforcement against the consumption of e-vaporisers. When seized by agencies, the vapes first go to the Ministry of Health for testing. 'If it is just nicotine, we will process and fine them... In the most serious cases involving drugs, the Central Narcotics Bureau will have to come in, so it will have to be a concerted effort,' said Mr Ong. From July 21, the HSA has also extended the operating hours for its hotline to report vaping-related offences. The hotline now operates from 9am to 9pm daily, including on public holidays. Previously, it operated only on weekdays, from 9am to 5.30pm. The HSA has also launched a new online portal to report vaping-related offences –
Straits Times
5 days ago
- Health
- Straits Times
27 caught and fined for vaping in 5-hour blitz, including man in void deck wearing vape round his neck
27 caught and fined for vaping in 5-hour blitz, including man in void deck wearing vape round his neck Andrew Wong and Zaihan Mohamed Yusof The Straits Times July 17, 2025 The anti-vaping blitz has extended to areas near schools, with enforcement officers conducting checks outside five institutes of higher learning (IHL) across Singapore on July 14. In total, 27 people were caught and fined for vaping in enforcement operations conducted at several community hot spots, the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) told The Straits Times. Another eight people were caught for underage smoking. Those caught were aged 17 to 66 years old, said HSA, which added that 31 e-vaporisers were seized in the five-hour-long blitz. Work in the East started just after 11am, with HSA officers positioning themselves at various spots where people gather outside the institutes. Within the first hour, a man was caught loitering at an HDB void deck across from the school with a vape around his neck. HSA officers confiscated his vape, suspected to be a Kpod or etomidate-laced pod. Etomidate is an anaesthetic agent used in clinical practice. It is classified as a poison under the Poisons Act. This means a licence is required for its importation or sale. About 500m away from where the first man was caught, HSA officers found a man vaping at a bus stop directly opposite a school in full public view. He told officers that he had just seen a doctor and was given a medical certificate. The man was allowed to leave after enforcement officers recorded his particulars. At around 4pm, ST followed HSA officers to an IHL in the north of Singapore, where officers found six people using vapes. IHLs comprise autonomous universities, art institutions, polytechnics and the Institute of Technical Education. PHOTO: THE STRAITS TIMES The Ministry of Health and HSA said in a joint statement on May 16 that from January 2024 to March 2025, about 2,600 students were referred to HSA by schools and IHLs for vaping. Previous figures released showed that there were about 800 cases in 2022, 900 cases the following year and 2,000 cases in 2024. Teachers, who spoke to ST on the condition of anonymity, say vaping, which has been banned in Singapore since 2018, has been a problem in schools here. Roger (not his real name) said he sees an average of three to four cases of students getting caught with vapes a month. "Some schools have resorted to using portable metal detectors to check students when there is a tip-off," said Roger, who has been teaching in a secondary school for more than 20 years. He added that at his school, bags are checked only when there is reliable information that the student may be using e-vaporisers. Jim (not his real name) said the situation at his IHL has worsened since 2023, when about 200 students were caught vaping in the institute each month. He said students would hide the vapes in false ceilings or behind mirrors inside toilets. Jim declined to provide the number of students caught for vaping offences in 2024 and 2025, saying that it might identify his institute. Roger said he is aware of the emergence of etomidate-laced vapes, or Kpods. His school was first alerted to the use of laced vapes by a concerned parent who found her child in a "drugged out" state. Laced vapes rose to prominence in April when a 13-year-old girl was caught behaving erratically outside the State Courts after puffing on a vape. A subsequent raid of her home by HSA officers found that she had an etomidate-laced vape device in her possession. Roger said that, fortunately, no students have been caught with laced pods in his school. Jim said the emergence of Kpods has added another layer of complexity. "Kpods is my number one nemesis because we have seen students using Kpods and, within seconds, they're not themselves. They don't know what is happening to them and their surroundings," he added. Jim said that he had previously contacted the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) for guidance when a student was caught while high on the laced product. He said he was referred to HSA. PHOTO: STOMP For students caught vaping, the Health Promotion Board (HPB) offers cessation support via tele-counselling service QuitLine, and on-site counselling by student health advisers in some schools. Nearly 1,800 young people received counselling between January 2024 and March 2025. HPB and the Ministry of Education will also soon start a year-long virtual cessation counselling pilot for all secondary schools, slated to kick off in July. Meanwhile, medical practitioners and public healthcare institutions have been told to record all suspected and confirmed etomidate-linked vaping cases. In a circular dated July 9, MOH and HSA said medical practitioners should also get patients to surrender their e-vaporisers and consider sending their urine samples for testing. Schools have also sent advisories to parents through Parents Gateway, an app that connects parents and schools on key administrative matters. The advisory provides warning of the dangers of vaping and how parents can protect their children. Secondary school teacher Lim (not his real name) said he has received e-mails from his school's student management committee to look out for vapes. "Metal detectors have been used during bag checks, but that happens only if there is a tip-off or when we have a valid reason to be suspicious that the particular student possesses a vape," said Lim. Mr Gopal Mahey, senior counsellor at the Centre for Psychotherapy, said more parents and their children have reached out for help in dealing with addiction to vaping. He said many clients had initially assumed that vaping was a safer or "cleaner" alternative to cigarettes. "With substances like etomidate or even tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and amphetamines lacing the same devices, the risks have escalated dramatically. "I've had clients who shared that they unknowingly inhaled drug-laced pods because a friend had handed one to them at a party," said Mr Gopal. He said young people are still navigating through their formative years and may be seeking belonging and approval from others. "If we don't intervene strongly now, with compassion, clarity and consequence, we risk watching this generation inhale their way to a new form of dependency, and by the time many seek help, it's already taken root. "The window for prevention is narrow, but it's still open," he said. Click here to contribute a story or submit it to our WhatsApp Get more of Stomp's latest updates by following us on:
Straits Times
5 days ago
- Health
- Straits Times
The Usual Place Podcast: Kpod vapes, zombie kids: Is it time to raise the alarm?
Find out what's new on ST website and app. Kpods, a street term for drug-laced e-vaporisers, has been much-talked about this week, with The Straits Times launching an anti-vape campaign on July 13. Recently, videos of vape users taken by the public have been surfacing online – in particular, of younger people – turning into 'zombies' and behaving erratically after using etomidate-laced vapes. Etomidate is an anaesthetic used in hospitals during medical procedures, and is classified as a poison under the Poisons Act, which strictly restricts its use to licensed medical professionals. Some parents have shared their stories about how their children have tried self-harm or attempted suicide while being high. Through reports, commentaries and first-person accounts, ST, along with parents, readers and health professionals, have sounded the alarm on the dangerous nature of Kpods. In this episode of The Usual Place Podcast, I chat with my colleague and seasoned crime reporter Zaihan Mohamed Yusof; Yio Chu Kang SMC MP Yip Hon Weng, who has raised multiple Parliamentary Questions on vaping over the past few years; and Narasimman Tivasiha Mani, the executive director of youth mental health charity Impart, who has encountered teens using Kpods. We will discuss the access to Kpods, what attracts young people to use them, and how Singapore can step up enforcement and awareness. Tune in at 12pm SGT/HKT to watch the livestream and take part in the discussion on our revamped YouTube channel. Follow The Usual Place Podcast live at noon every Thursday and get notified for new episode drops: Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore HSA launches anti-vaping checks near 5 institutes of higher learning Opinion The workplace needs to step up on mental health to match Singapore's efforts at the national level Business Market versus mission: What will Income Insurance choose? Singapore Singapore Zoo celebrates reptile baby boom, including hatchings of endangered species Life First look at the new Singapore Oceanarium at Resorts World Sentosa Business Singapore key exports surprise with 13% rebound in June amid tariff uncertainty Opinion AI and education: We need to know where this sudden marriage is heading Singapore Coffee Meets Bagel's Singpass check: Why I'll swipe right on that Channel: Apple Podcasts: Spotify:
Straits Times
5 days ago
- Straits Times
HSA launches anti-vaping checks near 5 institutes of higher learning
Find out what's new on ST website and app. A HSA officer (right) confiscating a vape from a student in Tampines on July 14. SINGAPORE - The anti-vaping blitz has extended to areas near schools, with enforcement officers conducting checks outside five institutes of higher learning (IHL) across Singapore on July 14. In total, 27 people were caught and fined for vaping in enforcement operations conducted at several community hot spots, the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) told The Straits Times. 'Another eight persons were caught for underage smoking. Those caught were aged 17 to 66 years,' said HSA, which added that 31 e-vaporisers were seized in the four-hour-long operation. The operation in the East started just after 11am, with HSA officers positioning themselves across various points where people gather outside the IHL. Within the first hour, a man was caught loitering at a HDB void deck across from the school, with a vape hooked across his neck. HSA officers confiscated his vape, suspected to be a Kpod or etomidate-laced pod. Etomidate is an anaesthetic agent used in clinical practice. It is classified as a poison under the Poisons Act. This means a licence is required for its importation or sale. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Over 600 Telegram groups in Singapore selling, advertising vapes removed by HSA Business Singapore key exports surprise with 13% rebound in June Business Market versus mission: What will Income Insurance choose? Life First look at the new Singapore Oceanarium at Resorts World Sentosa Opinion AI and education: We need to know where this sudden marriage is heading Singapore Coffee Meets Bagel's Singpass check: Why I'll swipe right on that Singapore Jail for man who fatally hit his daughter, 2, while driving van without licence About 500m away from where the first man was caught, HSA officers found a man vaping at a bus stop directly opposite a school, in full public view. He told officers that he had just seen a doctor and was given a medical certificate. The man was allowed to leave after enforcement officers recorded his particulars. At around 4pm, ST followed HSA officers to an IHL located in the north of Singapore, where officers found six people using vapes. IHLs comprise autonomous universities, art institutions, polytechnics and the Institute of Technical Education. The Ministry of Health and HSA said in a joint statement on May 16 that from January 2024 to March 2025 about 2,600 students were referred to HSA by schools and IHLs for vaping. Previous figures released showed that there were about 800 cases in 2022, 900 cases the next year and 2,000 cases in 2024 . Teachers, who spoke to ST on the condition of anonymity, say vaping, which has been banned in Singapore since 2018, has been a problem in schools here. Roger (not his real name) said he sees an average of three to four cases of students getting caught with vapes a month. 'Some schools have resorted to using portable metal detectors to check students when there is a tip-off,' said Roger, who has been teaching in a secondary school for more than 20 years. He added that at his school, bags are checked only when there is reliable information that the student may be using e-vaporisers. Jim (not his real name) said the situation at his IHL has worsened since 2023, when about 200 students were caught vaping in the institute each month. He said students would hide the vapes in false ceilings or behind the mirrors inside the toilets. Jim declined to provide the number of students caught for vaping offences in 2024 and 2025, saying that it might identify his institute. Roger said he is also aware of the emergence of etomidate-laced vapes, or Kpods. His school was first alerted to the use of laced vapes by a concerned parent who found her child in a 'drugged out' state. Laced vapes rose to prominence in April when a 13-year-old girl was caught while behaving erratically outside the State Courts after puffing on a vape. A subsequent raid of her home by HSA officers found that she had a etomidate-laced vape device in her possession. Roger said that, fortunately, no students have been caught with laced pods in his school. Jim said the emergence of Kpods has added another layer of complexity. 'Kpods is my number one nemesis because we have seen students who use Kpods, and within seconds they're not themselves. They don't know what is happening to them and their surroundings,' he added. Jim said that he had previously contacted the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) for guidance when a student was caught while high on the laced product. He said he was referred to HSA. For students caught vaping, the Health Promotion Board (HPB) offers cessation support via tele-counselling service QuitLine, and on-site counselling by student health advisers in some schools. Nearly 1,800 young people received counselling between January 2024 and March 2025. HPB and the Ministry of Education will also soon start a year-long virtual cessation counselling pilot for all secondary schools, slated to kick off in July. Meanwhile, medical practitioners and public healthcare institutions have been told to record all suspected and confirmed etomidate-linked vaping cases. In a circular dated July 9, MOH and HSA said medical practitioners should also get patients to surrender their e-vaporisers and consider sending their urine samples for testing. Schools have also sent advisories to parents through Parents Gateway, an app that connects parents and schools on key administrative matters. The advisory provides warning of the dangers of vaping and how parents can protect their children. Secondary school teacher Lim (not his real name) said he has received e-mails from his school's student management committee to look out for vapes. 'Metal detectors have been used during bag checks, but that only happens if there is a tip-off or when we have a valid reason to be suspicious that the particular student possesses a vape,' said Lim. Mr Gopal Mahey, senior counsellor at the Centre for Psychotherapy, said more parents and their children have reached out for help in dealing with addiction to vaping. He said many clients had initially assumed that vaping was a safer or 'cleaner' alternative to cigarettes. 'With substances like etomidate or even tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and amphetamines being laced into the same devices, the risks have escalated dramatically.' 'I've had clients who shared that they unknowingly inhaled drug-laced pods because a friend had handed it to them at a party,' said Mr Gopal. He said the young people are still navigating through their formative years and may be seeking belonging and approval from others. 'If we don't intervene strongly now, with compassion, clarity and consequence, we risk watching this generation inhale their way into a new form of dependency, and by the time many seek help, it's already taken root. 'The window for prevention is narrow but it's still open,' he said.
AsiaOne
15-07-2025
- Health
- AsiaOne
Medical practitioners must record Kpod cases, seize vapes: MOH, HSA, Singapore News
Medical practitioners must now record all cases of e-vaporiser use and related symptoms suggesting etomidate intoxication, amid a "rising concerns" regarding Kpod use in Singapore. In a circular issued on July 9, the Ministry of Health (MOH) and Health Sciences Authority (HSA) said that there has been a "concerning increase" in the use of Kpods — e-vaporisers containing the anaesthetic agent etomidate — in Singapore between 2024 and 2025. "Some users of these products have exhibited etomidate-related adverse effects, such as the loss of motor coordination, confusion, dizziness and slurred speech," the healthcare authorities said. The circular highlighted how etomidate and its analogues have been notably detected in illicit drug markets in East and South-east Asia, according to a United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime report in March. Etomidate is an anaesthetic agent used in clinical settings and is classified as a poison under the Poisons Act. This means a licence is required for its import or sale. In a bid to crackdown on Kpod use, MOH and HSA said they are studying the "harm and addictiveness of etomidate use in e-vaporisers" through individuals who seek medical attention. This include those who seek help at the emergency departments, urgent care centres or the psychiatry departments of the public healthcare institutions or National Addictions Management Service in the Institute of Mental Health (IMH). The studies will inform and shape policy going forward, including whether existing regulations and license conditions issued need to be tightened or amended. Confiscate all e-vaporisers Currently, those possessing or using pods containing etomidate can face a maximum penalty of imprisonment for up to two years, a fine of up to $10,000, or both, under the Poisons Act. According to the circular, medical practitioners were told to observe symptoms like slurred speech, seizures, motor incoordination and arrythmias, among a list of symptoms related to etomidate intoxication. They were also instructed to confiscate all e-vaporisers and consider sending patients' urine samples to HSA for toxicology testing. Medical practitioners were also informed to reassure patients that enforcement actions against them for previous e-vaporiser use will not be taken when they voluntarily come forward to seek medical assistance. MOH and HSA also said that members of the public who have sought assistance through the Health Promotion Board's smoking/vaping cessation phone counselling service, QuitLine, may be directed to seek medical advice and assessment at public health institutions' emergency departments. MOH and HSA had previously said that over 17,900 persons were caught for the possession and use of e-vaporisers from January 2024 to March 2025. Over $41 million worth of vapes and related components were also seized between that period. [[nid:718087]]
