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Straits Times
2 hours 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:
AsiaOne
5 hours ago
- Health
- AsiaOne
HSA launches anti-vaping checks near 5 institutes of higher learning, Singapore News
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 Monday (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 old, said HSA, which added that 31 e-vaporisers were seized in the four-hour-long operation. [[nid:720201]] 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 a 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. 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 are 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. 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. 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 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. [[nid:720256]] This article was first published in The Straits Times . Permission required for reproduction.
Straits Times
6 hours 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.
Straits Times
10 hours ago
- Straits Times
Forum: Equip community and educators to help fight the vape scourge
Find out what's new on ST website and app. I write this with a heavy heart after learning about the tragic death of a teenager in Singapore in 2024, reportedly linked to vaping ( I lost my daughter to Kpod addiction: Father of 19-year-old shares heartbreak and lessons , July 13). Over the past year, I have witnessed both teenagers and adults vaping openly in public, despite knowing that e-cigarettes and other vaping devices are illegal in Singapore. Enforcement seems limited and sporadic. Many offenders go about undeterred, emboldened by the lack of immediate consequences. It's not clear how to report such acts. Who do we contact when we see someone openly vaping? Approaching them directly can be confrontational, and calling the police may not always feel appropriate. I have some suggestions on how the community can work together with enforcement officers to curb this growing problem. First, create a public-friendly reporting system such as a centralised app or hotline through which people can discreetly submit videos and photos, or provide tip-offs about vaping hot spots. We should also equip educators, youth mentors and community volunteers with tools to identify early signs of vape addiction. Intervene through counselling and support, not just punishment. Stronger deterrence measures are needed. For instance, more patrols at known hot spots, heavier penalties for repeat offenders, and real-time community updates on enforcement actions taken. Parents and peers play a critical role. Normalising open conversations around these topics can help young people make more informed choices and speak up when needed. I sincerely urge everyone in the community to step up. Let's make sure we don't lose more lives to something that can be stopped. Ho See Ling
New Paper
a day ago
- Health
- New Paper
Legal agility needed to tackle drug-laced vapes in Singapore: Experts
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.
