67 PERSONS HAVE BEEN PLACED ON REHABILITATION PROGRAMMES IN FIRST SIX WEEKS SINCE PENALTIES WERE ENHANCED

From 1 September to 12 October 2025, authorities caught 1,339 persons for e-vaporiser related offences. Of these cases, 102 persons were confirmed to be in possession of e-vaporisers containing etomidate.

2.       67 have been placed on rehabilitation programmes at Institute of Mental Health (IMH), Health Promotion Board (HPB) and Social Services Agencies (SSAs). The rehabilitation programme focuses on education, counselling, and support to help individuals overcome their addiction. Besides individual sessions, the programme will also include group and family sessions for the individuals to share their experiences and learn techniques to better cope while recovering from the addiction. 65 participants have been compliant with their rehabilitation programme attendance thus far.

3.       Two offenders have failed to attend their first rehabilitation appointments.  HSA is investigating and will prosecute individuals for their e-vaporiser or etomidate-related offences should they fail to attend their rehabilitation appointments. The maximum penalty for those found with regular e-vaporisers or etomidate in their e-vaporisers is a fine of up to $2,000 under Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) Act or a fine of up to $10,000 and imprisonment for up to two years under the Poisons Act respectively.

Persons charged in Court for alleged trafficking or supply of etomidate e-vaporiser pods

4.       HSA has charged five persons in Court for the alleged trafficking of etomidate e-vaporiser pods under the Misuse of Drugs Act in the past 6 weeks. The cases included:

a.    Three persons – Vernette Heng Cui Teng, age 23, female; Amir Shah s/o Anwar Shah, age 27, male; and a 17-year-old female – were charged in court on 4 October 2025 for the alleged trafficking of etomidate e-vaporiser pods.

b.    A 36-year-old man, Heng Yong Qin, was charged in Court on 2 October 2025 for the alleged trafficking of etomidate e-vaporiser pods.

c.     The first person who was charged for the alleged trafficking of e-vaporisers was Khor Boon Chun, Derek, age 40, on 8 September 2025.

5.       Another person, a 30-year-old woman, Eng Xiao Bei, was charged in Court under the Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) Act on 25 September 2025 for the alleged supply of e-vaporisers and etomidate pods, as well as the alleged possession of e-vaporisers and pods prior to 1 September 2025.

Persons charged in Court for alleged smuggling of e-vaporisers

6.       Eight cases of smuggling of regular e-vaporisers were detected at the airport, checkpoints or cruise centres in the past 6 weeks. Overall, more than 26,000 e-vaporisers and related components were seized.

7.       HSA has charged two persons for the alleged smuggling of e-vaporisers in Court and they are currently in remand. Both persons were caught by Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers at the checkpoints and referred to HSA. The cases included:

a.    A 27-year-old man, Srimaran M Nadarajan, Malaysian, was charged in Court on 16 September 2025 for allegedly importing more than 19,000 e-vaporisers and related components into Singapore.

b.    A 22-year-old man, Shahrul Ikhwan Bin Abdullah, Malaysian, was charged in Court on 19 September 2025 for allegedly importing more than 1,000 e-vaporisers and related components into Singapore.

8.    A 25-year-old Singaporean man is also being investigated by HSA for allegedly smuggling over 9,200 e-vaporiser pods concealed in an inbound cargo container at the Pasir Panjang Scanning Station on 17 September, and for being in possession of another 85 e-vaporisers and its related components.

Foreign visitors caught abusing etomidate e-vaporisers will also face investigation and penalties

9.       Overseas visitors who are entering Singapore are reminded to abide by the local laws and regulations. On 25 September, the police caught a 21-year-old male foreign visitor vaping in a hotel. His e-vaporiser was seized and subsequently tested positive for etomidate. He is the first foreign visitor to be tested positive for vaping etomidate since 1 September. Investigations are ongoing. Subsequently, there has been another 28-year old overseas visitor who was found abusing etomidate-laced e-vaporiser and has left Singapore and issued a 2-year ban into Singapore.

10.      At the recent Formula One Singapore Grand Prix event held at Marina Bay from 3 to 5 October 2025, HSA and police conducted a joint operation and caught 37 persons – 32 foreign visitors and five Singapore residents, aged 23 to 61 years, who were in possession of e-vaporisers. All offenders were fined on the spot. This is a fivefold decrease from the persons caught in 2024’s Singapore Grand Prix event, likely due to an increase in awareness of the enhanced anti-vaping measures implemented since 1 September 2025.

Cases detected through hotline and online reporting

11.      Over the past 6 weeks, there were 1,968 cases of e-vaporiser activities reported through HSA’s online reporting form and hotlines. HSA was able to conduct targeted enforcement actions based on these public reports.

12.      Public reports are particularly useful when they contained actionable information such as where, when and how often the illegal use of e-vaporisers took place. This would allow HSA to prioritise and take appropriate enforcement actions.

13.      The public also reported online listings, social media posts, and messaging platforms with illegal advertisements and posts. Such reports complement HSA's efforts. For the past 6 weeks, HSA removed more than 340 online e-vaporiser-related listings, offending websites and Telegram groups, and have taken actions against two individuals who posted content of themselves vaping or possessing e-vaporisers on social media.

14.      HSA would like to thank the public for their vigilance and encourage the public to continue their valuable contribution to law enforcement by providing comprehensive details when reporting suspected offences.

Rehabilitation process and support to quit

15.      The Government continues to provide support to those who need help and support to quit vaping. In the last 6 weeks, 35 persons were enrolled in the QuitVape programme at IMH and the four participating SSAs to quit the use of etomidate vaping. 150 persons have signed up for Health Promotion Board’s (HPB) I Quit programme for general vaping. Members of the public who want to quit vaping can tap on the QuitVape programme (gov.sg/quitvape) or contact HPB's QuitLine at 1800 438 2000.

16.      Those who voluntarily seek help will not face any penalties nor have an offence record for coming forward. However, if the individual is separately caught vaping, penalties under the various laws will be meted out and there will be an offence record. Support under the QuitVape programme and HPB’s I Quit programme is free for Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents.

17.      Members of the public can also voluntarily dispose of e-vaporisers safely at designated e-vaporiser disposal bins placed at selected locations including border checkpoints and where QuitVape programmes and rehabilitation are provided (e.g. HPB, IMH and participating SSAs).

Enhanced penalties since 1 September

18.      Under the enhanced framework that came into force on 1 September 2025, individuals found possessing, using, or purchasing e-vaporisers now face higher penalties and recalcitrant users will be required to undergo rehabilitation. Those who do not complete the rehabilitation programme will be prosecuted. Offenders caught using e-vaporisers for the third time and more will be prosecuted in court under the Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) Act 1993 and be liable for a fine of up to $2,000.

19.      Etomidate e-vaporiser offenders face higher penalties and are required to attend rehabilitation for up to 6 months. Second-time offenders will be arrested and subjected to investigation and urine-testing, as well as mandatory supervision for 6 months which includes drug testing, and rehabilitation. Third-time offenders who are 16 years and older will undergo a 12-months regime, including detainment at the Drug Rehabilitation Centre (DRC), followed by drug testing and supervision.

20.      Importers, sellers and distributors of etomidate e-vaporisers will also face much stiffer penalties. This includes 3 to 20 years’ imprisonment and 5 to 15 strokes of the cane for importers, and 2 to 10 years’ imprisonment and 2 to 5 strokes of the cane for sellers and distributors.

21.      Members of the public who have information on the illegal advertisement, import, distribution, sale or possession of e-vaporisers can contact HSA to support our enforcement efforts through two convenient channels:

-       Submit information through our online reporting form: www.go.gov.sg/reportvape or scan the QR code:

-        Call the Tobacco Regulation Branch at Tel: 6684 2036 or 6684 2037, operational daily, including weekends and public holidays, from 9am to 9pm.

22.      Vaping is illegal in Singapore. The Government remains committed to strengthening enforcement efforts while providing support for those seeking to quit vaping. For more information, visit gov.sg/stopvaping.

MINISTRY OF HEALTH

HEALTH SCIENCES AUTHORITY

16 OCTOBER 2025