NUMBER OF VAPING CASES REFERRED BY PARENTS

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Dr Tan Wu Meng

MP for Jurong GRC

Question No. 7308

To ask the Minister for Health (a) whether the Ministry tracks the number of vaping cases referred to the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) by the Police; (b) if so, what are the number such cases in 2023 and 2024 respectively; (c) how many of such cases arise from parents referring their own children to the Police; (d) what is the approach by HSA to such referrals; and (e) what help is available to parents who are worried that their children are vaping.

Answer

1        The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) received about 4,000 and 5,000 cases involving possession or usage of e-vaporisers from the Singapore Police Force over the past two years.  In these two years, only 1 of these cases was a parent referring his child to the Police for vaping. For this case, the person was issued with a warning instead of a composition fine, and referred to the Health Promotion Board (HPB) for counselling.   

2        Parents who are concerned that their children are vaping can call the HPB QuitLine for a referral to HPB’s smoking and vaping cessation service.  No enforcement action will be taken against the children.