Singapore will impose tougher penalties for vaping and the use of drug-laced vape pods from Monday, as part of a nationwide crackdown aimed at curbing addiction and dismantling illicit supply chains.
Etomidate – an anaesthetic drug increasingly found in vape products known locally as “Kpods” – will be listed as a Class C drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act (MDA).
The reclassification means that trafficking, manufacturing, importing, exporting, possession or consumption of etomidate without authorisation will now be treated as a drug offence rather than a health violation, reported Channel News Asia. Until now, etomidate had been controlled under the Poisons Act, which carried lighter penalties.
From 1 September, first-time offenders caught vaping will face higher fines of S$500 (£290) if under 18 and S$700 (£400) if over 18.
Repeat offenders will be required to undergo rehabilitation programmes lasting three to six months. Those who offend for the third time, may be prosecuted in court and fined up to S$2,000 (£1,150).
Health minister Ong Ye Kung said that about 80 per cent of those abusing etomidate are under 30.
“Being largely young and probably ignorant, we think they are different from hardcore drug abusers, and they may be more open to giving up,” Mr Ong said during a press conference. He added that mandatory rehabilitation was intended to give users “a chance to turn over a new leaf”.
The penalties for traffickers will be significantly harsher.
Those caught importing etomidate face a mandatory minimum of three years in prison and five strokes of the cane, with a maximum penalty of 20 years’ jail and 15 strokes.
Selling or distributing the substance carries a minimum of two years’ jail and two strokes, rising to a maximum of 10 years and five strokes. Singapore is one of a handful of countries that still imposes corporal punishment by caning for certain crimes.
Home affairs minister K Shanmugam said suppliers must be “dealt with harshly”. “They want to make money and profit from the misery of other people. They know it’s an offence, and they calculate how much money they are going to make and in return, what are the risks they run,” he said.
The government has also introduced new measures targeting schools and universities.
Students caught vaping may face detention, suspension, caning (for boys), withdrawal of scholarships or hostel places, and rehabilitative counselling. Public servants, including members of the Home Team and Singapore Armed Forces, face dismissal, demotion or detention on top of state penalties.
Foreigners will also be subject to the new rules. Visitors caught with vapes will have them seized and fined, while repeat offenders risk deportation and being banned from re-entering Singapore. Long-term pass holders – including foreign workers and students – may lose their residency rights after multiple offences.
Authorities are further extending anti-vaping enforcement online.
From September, offences linked to vaping will also be covered under Singapore’s powerful Online Criminal Harms Act, the Organised Crime Act, and the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act.
This will allow the government to order platforms to block accounts, remove apps, and seize criminal proceeds linked to the illicit vape trade.
Despite a 2018 ban on the sale, possession and use of vapes, the devices remain popular in Singapore, particularly among young people. More than 6,800 people were caught and fined in the first half of this year, according to government figures.
Prime minister Lawrence Wong said earlier this month that treating vaping as “just like tobacco” was no longer sufficient.
Mr Ong warned that “the landscape for consumption of harmful substances has changed.
“Vapes become a gateway for very serious substance abuse.”
Thai PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra removed from office over call with ex-Cambodia leader
Three killed in Vietnam as Typhoon Kajiki brings floods and blackouts
Man arrested on suspicion of fraud after four cars have strikingly similar accidents
Artist who fled to UK after alleged Chinese censorship ‘does not feel safe at all’
Typhoon Kajiki makes landfall in Vietnam as authorities close schools and airports
Vietnam and China evacuate hundreds of thousands as Typhoon Kajiki nears
