[CONSOLIDATED] Singapore's Vaping Crisis. CNB, HSA monitoring situation

[Lchlch]

Boy, 16, found to have 54 vape pods at home during HSA raid, some contained etomidate​

He was allegedly vaping in a private-hire car with another 16-year-old boy.

In a raid on May 22, the Singapore Health Sciences Authority (HSA) discovered and seized 54 e-vaporiser pods and three e-vaporisers in the home of a 16-year-old boy. This was one of the recent cases shared by HSA in a press release on Jul. 20, highlighting enhanced surveillance and enforcement of vapes.

HSA officers conducted the raid as a follow-up check after a driver reported to the Traffic Police that two 16-year-old boys were allegedly vaping while riding in the driver's private-hire car on May 18.

The Traffic Police seized two vapes from one of the boys, and he would later be found to possess more in the home raid.

HSA tested the pods seized, and some were found to contain etomidate.

The second boy's home was also raided, but no vapes or related components were found.

Both boys are assisting HSA in investigations.

Other recent cases​

Public reports on vape-related offences have increased lately and this contributes to the government's surveillance and enforcement of vapes.

HSA received more than 3,000 reports in 2024 and more than 2,500 reports in just the first half of 2025.

In May, HSA also raided the home of a 58-year-old man after a video posted online showed him sitting on the road holding a vape and shaking uncontrollably. The raid did not turn up any vapes, but the man admitted to vaping and was thus issued a composition fine by HSA.

From HSA's press release.

That same month, another video on social media prompted HSA to raid the home of a 24-year-old man who was filmed vaping in a lift at Sim Lim Square. Two vapes were seized, and the man is assisting HSA in investigations.

From HSA's press release.

On Jul. 11, a 21-year-old man was also caught by HSA for allegedly distributing vapes and components in Bishan and Ubi. HSA officers seized almost three tonnes of e-vaporisers through raids, and he was charged in court on Jul. 14.

To counter the growing problem of vapes laced with etomidate, health minister Ong Ye Kung announced on Jul. 20 that the Ministry of Health (MOH) will be working with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to list etomidate as a Class C drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act.

When asked about the situation in schools, Ong told media that the ministry did not detect any etomidate-laced vapes among vapes seized from schools but he does not want to assume it is fine.

Top image from HSA

It is getting out of hand.
Yet nvr see tp step up vigorously to nab the vapers, runners, head.
What is tp doing???.
Monitoring,

 

[ricogan427]

Ya.. second hand smoke of etomidate will die or not?

Will, but lot so soon.

 

[rrr2015]

still gibe amnesty for what?
huge fine (these folks can earn 80k a day), caning, jail

 

[lbcben]

should lock him up, die die must puff finish all 54 pod...see song boh..then release out

 

[Lchlch]

These dealers have 1 week to voluntarily surrender their stock to hsa / cnb.

After 1 week, anyone caught dealing kpods will be treated like drug trafficker... ahem... noose...

Good idea?

Just catch them n gv them harsh sentencing.
No point gv them leeway for escape routes.

 

[Lchlch]

I thunk our tp still monitoring...maybe for another few years time.

 

[kuehteow]

Yah can extend this offer to anyone who currently in possession of all kind of drugs/illegal substance as well.....

 

[tellim]

Vape more and let them jump down for the good of society.

 

[viethai]

We need a zombie park

 

[lowveld]

i rather the govt just send all of them to the gallows at the first instance

This. Just execute no questions asked.

 

[ricogan427]

Now students got more pocket money/allowance liao lah

Nowadays easily can see pri and sec sch students jiak lunch at ramen shops, sushi, mala, guzman gomez etc... easily 1 meal costs $10+ to $20+

Won't be surprised their 1 month pocket money can be $300-$500 just for food alone

And their mobile phone plan is paid by their parents as well.

 

[Medicated Oil]

Casinos are the early adopters of AI. Those days they don;t call AI. They are using aglorithms to match those likelihood of cheating. And flag out to the security person in-charge.

There is nothing too late to pen cans of worms soon or later. The later they open , the more they need to catch up.

I am supporting what they are doing now.
However, they will have too much to catch up on this can of worms.
I am also not sure how they are going to close it since they are so clueless when it come to any practical solution.
Should be setting up another committee to waste more time in drawing flip charts again.

 

[ricogan427]

Time for all the civil setpents to earn their bonus

They have earned many bonuses in the past and in the future, but...........

 

[sportivo]

heard from USADA, trained drug detection dogs could easily sniff out narcotics but not etomidate

 

[tfkmueh]

Joven still in sls ?

Ho chi minh, bui vien street, Singapore Laksa stall.

 

[ricogan427]

Do U think enforcement themselves vape too??? Anyway it seems like vaping is out of control here. My estate I have seeming women n men vaping opening in public.

Agree, very common sight even with school kids, boys and girls, vaping openly.

 

[qcubesg]

How supplies reach sinkieland shore?

It looks like typical plastic toy/lighters easy to miss out ba?

 

[Bumperbee88]

I am supporting what they are doing now.
However, they will have too much to catch up on this can of worms.
I am also not sure how they are going to close it since they are so clueless when it come to any practical solution.
Should be setting up another committee to waste more time in drawing flip charts again.

Crime is always ahead of rules and regulations. Is a natural cause and effect of how the real world works. As long as long we identified the trend, and act on hard, that is the first right direction.

If you take a look at those western countries. Government don't even talk about it, and many of these government either turn a bilnd eye, or too thinly spread of limited resources.

Remeber the chewing gum ruling. This vaping thingly will be the same. But vaping is more difficult, because addiction is diffciult to tackle. Need time.

 

[Bumperbee88]

btw folks, " using anti-vape cyber surveillance tool with AI capabilities" is actually mean monitoring hor. Instead of using eye power to monitor, they switched to using AI to monitor liao

If that much resource, we have to work smart. IA CCTVs is the way to go for enforement agencies. Just like what the casinos have been doing.

 

[Medicated Oil]

Crime is always ahead of rules and regulations. Is a natural cause and effect of how the real world works. As long as long we identified the trend, and act on to hard, that is the first right direction.

If you take a look at those western countries. Government don't even talk about it, and many of these government either turn a bilnd eye, or too thinly spread of limited resources.

Remeber the chewing gum ruling. This vaping thingly will be the same. But vaping is more difficult, because addiction is diffciult to tackle. Need time.

I see it this way.
They cannot no longer whip the local sheep who are obedient.
There are a LOT MORE foreign sheep that they let in that dun give a damn.
And there is already some students who are vaping.

I dun think they have the manpowder to deal and close the problem too.