SINGAPORE (The Straits Times/ANN): A total of 2,589 people were caught for possession and use of vaporisers in the first three months of 2026.
In a joint media release on May 4, the Ministry of Health (MOH) and Health Sciences Authority (HSA) said that of those caught, 2,212 were regular vape offenders. The remaining 377 were caught for offences involving etomidate vapes, which are also known as Kpods.
More than 36,000 vapes and related components were seized from the checkpoints during this period, and 24 smuggling cases uncovered, said the authorities, which added that 13 vaporiser sellers and 11 smugglers were prosecuted.
HSA also identified and fined 10 people who posted vaping-related photos, or videos of themselves vaping, on social media. More than 600 online listings of vapes and their related components were removed from e-commerce and social media platforms, the authorities said.
During this period, HSA charged four people under the Misuse of Drugs Act with allegedly trafficking Kpods. These cases are pending sentencing.
Another 13 people were prosecuted for selling vaporisers, including a 21-year-old who was jailed for 41 weeks and a 32-year-old who was jailed for 40 weeks.
520 vapers placed in rehab
Another 256 vape offenders were placed on rehabilitation programmes in the first three months of 2026, taking the total number placed on such programmes to 520.
The programmes, which started in September 2025, are mandatory for first-time Kpod offenders and second-time vape offenders. Some 123 people have successfully completed their rehabilitation, said HSA and MOH.
Those who fail to attend or complete their rehabilitation will face enforcement action, they warned. Twenty-eight of them are undergoing court proceedings and another 42 are involved in ongoing investigations.
In March, new anti-vaping laws were passed to strengthen enforcement against vaping and the abuse of psychoactive substances such as etomidate through vapes.
The laws, which come under a renamed Tobacco and Vaporisers Control Act, came into effect on May 1. -- The Straits Times/Asia News Network
