Latest news with #Vaping:TheInvisibleCrisis
Straits Times
a day ago
- Straits Times
Man charged over distributing nearly 3 tonnes of vapes in one day in Bishan, Ubi Ave 3
Find out what's new on ST website and app. Chong Jun Keong had allegedly distributed about 2,915kg of vapes in one day. SINGAPORE – A man who allegedly distributed nearly three tonnes of vaporisers in one day in Bishan and Ubi was handed two charges under the Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) Act. According to charge sheets, Chong Jun Keong, 21, a Malaysian, allegedly distributed the vaporisers, also known as vapes, on July 11. At about 1.40pm, in an industrial building at Jalan Pemimpin in Bishan, Chong allegedly distributed 103 bags of vapes which weighed about 1,966kg in total. About three hours later at 4.20pm, at another industrial building along Ubi Avenue 3, Chong is said to have distributed another 51 bags of vapes with a total weight of around 948kg. Taken together, Chong had allegedly distributed about 2,915kg of vapes in one day. Court documents on July 14 did not detail the chemical contents of the vapes or how he was arrested. Each charge Chong faces carries a maximum fine of $10,000, six months' jail or both. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore HSA intensifies crackdown on vapes; young suspected Kpod peddlers nabbed in Bishan, Yishun Singapore Singapore to train more aviation and maritime officials from around the world Business Singapore's economy sees surprise expansion in Q2 despite US tariff uncertainty: Advance estimate Singapore High Court dismisses appeal of drink driver who killed one after treating Tampines road like racetrack Singapore 18 years' jail for woman who hacked adoptive father to death after tussle over Sengkang flat Singapore Jail, caning for man who had 285 child porn videos, including those that show infants Singapore Three power companies chosen to study carbon capture and storage to help Singapore decarbonise He is out on $25,000 bail. His case will be mentioned again on Aug 11. Chong's case comes against the backdrop of a looming vape crisis in Singapore. HSA seized $41 million worth of vapes from January 2024 to March 2025 - nearly fivefold the reported value seized from 2019 to end-2023, according to numbers compiled by The Straits Times. ST launched its anti-vaping campaign, Vaping: The Invisible Crisis , on July 13 to raise awareness about the issue in Singapore. The Ministry of Health and Ministry of Home Affairs said in a joint statement on July 12 it is looking at enhancing laws around vaping. This comes after the increased detection of electronic vaporisers containing substances such as etomidate and other controlled drugs. Both ministries described vaping as a serious issue, noting that etomidate, which is classified as a poison and regulated under the Poisons Act, may cause adverse effects such as seizures and psychosis. It added that enforcement agencies will be taking stern action against those who import, sell, distribute, possess, use or purchase e-vaporisers, particularly those laced with etomidate.
Straits Times
3 days ago
- Straits Times
Why the vape scourge in Singapore concerns everyone
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Vaping is a global crisis that is getting more youth hooked on drugs. On Father's Day, my family and I were at a dim sum restaurant in Jalan Besar when a couple in their late 20s next to our table left. Sitting on the steps outside, on the pavement, they nonchalantly took out devices cupped in their hands and vaped. Maybe they thought the chances of them getting caught were slim, as Health Sciences Authority (HSA) officers cannot be everywhere, especially on a Sunday. Or perhaps they were of the view that since more people were vaping in Singapore, no one would snitch on them. But I wondered if they knew that instead of getting a high, they were actually inhaling the breath of death. Vaping is a global crisis that is getting more youth hooked on drugs, as crime syndicates pack potent and addictive substances into small devices that look like pens or lighters. The numbers are worrying enough for the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to warn in a 2025 report that vapes, or e-vaporisers, now don't just contain nicotine, but also cannabinoids and other synthetic substances. By now, you would have seen reports and videos of people in Singapore behaving incoherently, apparently from vaping, and the painful and expensive lung-washing procedures some have undergone due to their addictions. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. World US slaps 30% tariffs on EU and Mexico; EU warns of countermeasures Singapore S'pore shows what's possible when digital innovation is matched with purpose: UK foreign secretary Singapore Casual racism should be tackled by getting more people to understand it is not acceptable: David Neo Asia Fuel was cut off during take-off: Preliminary report on Air India crash Singapore Pulling back the curtain: A backstage look at the 2025 NDP show segment Singapore $3 cashback for hawker centre meals and shopping at heartland stores with DBS PayLah initiative Singapore Body of 62-year-old man recovered from waters off East Coast Park Asia Aerobridge hits Qantas plane at Sydney Airport, damaging engine, delaying flight You probably know of friends and family members whose studies and relationships have been affected by vaping. Vaping: The Invisible Crisis That's why The Straits Times is launching our anti-vaping campaign, Vaping: The Invisible Crisis, today. It is similar to our Stop Scams campaign , where we publish reports on various types of scams and how they work. Why are we doing this? We believe there needs to be more conversations about the vaping scourge that has already crept into our homes, schools and workplaces. Some parents told ST about how vaping has torn their families apart. Others have reported their children to the authorities . The evidence shows a vaping culture has already established itself here. On Feb 26, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said in a written parliamentary reply that there were 2,000 cases of students including those from institutes of higher learning (IHLs) reported for possessing or using e-vaporisers in 2024. This is up from 800 cases in 2022, and 900 cases in 2023. In October 2023, then Second Minister for Education Maliki Osman, told Parliament that although schools and IHLs have increased checks, it is likely there is under-detection . And on March 3, Minister of State for Health Rahayu Mahzam replied to a parliamentary question about the number of parents who reported their children for vaping. One such case was referred to the HSA, and the child was fined $300. Ms Rahayu advised parents who suspect their child of vaping to call the Health Promotion Board's (HPB) QuitLine on 1800-438-2000. It is part of HPB's I Quit programme, which was launched in 2014 to help participants quit smoking and accepts those who want to stop vaping. They will not be fined or prosecuted, unless they are caught using or in possession of vapes . More on this topic Organised crime groups pushing drug-laced vapes in Asia including Singapore: UN Worsening numbers 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. In 2019, HSA raids and investigations resulted in $95,460 worth of seizures across the year. Based on previous reports, HSA had seized $41 million worth of vapes from January 2024 to March 2025. That is nearly fivefold the reported value seized from 2019 to end-2023, according to numbers compiled by ST. This despite vaping being banned in Singapore since 2018. Peer-reviewed journal Emerald Insight said in 2024 that the number of vape users was around 82 million worldwide in 2021, with 14.3 million in South-east Asia . The global vape market was valued at US$22.8 billion (S$29.2 billion) in 2022. Like scams, vaping is a lucrative trade for criminal syndicates, and they are targeting our children as customers. Mature readers will remember the glue-sniffing scourge in the 1980s, when 23 people died during an eight-year period. Parents had to lock their children up for fear of them going to bicycle shops to get their fix of glue in a can. Some addicts drowned in reservoirs, and more than 1,112 abusers were arrested in 1987. If not tackled aggressively, vaping will become the glue-sniffing crisis of our current generation. Instead of a can of glue, the threat now appears as Kpods, a vape juice laced with the powerful anaesthetic drug etomidate . 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. Creating awareness How will ST be highlighting this social threat? We will be reporting regularly on the impact of vaping, not just in Singapore but also around the world. We will focus on how vaping has impacted your lives and those of your loved ones. And we hope that by publishing these reports, it will educate the public on how deadly vaping can be to your health and mental well-being. More needs to be done to tackle this issue because, for now, it seems there is no dedicated 24-hour helpline or app for the public to report vaping offences and the sale of vaping devices to the authorities. Currently, you can contact only HSA's Tobacco Regulation Branch on 6684-2036 or 6684-2037 from 9am to 5.30pm on weekdays. To tackle scams, the authorities have the ScamShield helpline on 1799. The ScamShield app is also equipped with artificial intelligence, and can identify and alert users to potential scam threats on WhatsApp, Telegram and web links. A similar app to report vaping offences would help the authorities prevent vapes from reaching customers and identify vape users quicker. The vaping issue is clearly being addressed by schools here. Some schools have even issued vape advisories on Parents Gateway, an app that connects parents and schools on key administrative matters. But this messaging should also be communicated to the public to show a whole-of-government approach to tackle the issue, as even primary school children have been caught . Under the law, anyone caught buying, possessing or using vapes can be fined up to $2,000. Those caught importing, selling and distributing vapes face up to six months' jail, a fine of up to $10,000, or both. All these mean nothing to the addict determined to get his or her vape fix. They must know there is no favourable outcome when they put a vaping device into their mouth. And that each time they suck in those toxins, all they are doing is blowing their lives away.
