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

[douce]

Too late liao lar...... all the ah tee ah kow young punk smoke vape everywhere.

 

[viethai]

Now looking

 

[apple459721]

Y no ask mha? They no tool?

moh n mha don’t want work together?

 

[yperic]

HSA looking to get anti-vape cyber surveillance tool with AI capabilities​

HSA said on July 16 it had removed over 600 Telegram groups advertising the sale of vapes here since April 2024.
PHOTO: ST FILE

Summary

• HSA is seeking a digital tool to monitor and enforce the ban on e-vaporiser sales, especially on social media.
• Two companies bid for the tender: Cobwebs Asia and Talon Laboratories, offering AI-powered surveillance tools.
• HSA actively monitors online vape sales; from January to March 2024, over 6,800 listings were removed from online platforms.

SINGAPORE - The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) is planning to buy a cyber surveillance tool specifically targeting illegal vaping activities online.

Such activities include the sale and promotion of e-vaporisers on social networks.

Its search functions are expected to be extensive and include phone numbers, email and IP addresses.

HSA put up the tender on the GeBiz platform on March 28 and closed it on April 15.

GeBIZ, or Government Electronic Business, is the Singapore Government’s one-stop e-procurement portal.

All public sector invitations for quotations and tenders are posted on the platform.

Tender documents indicate that the tool will be for both HSA and the Ministry of Health.

Two suppliers have responded to the posting.

Cobwebs Asia, the Singapore office of US web surveillance company Penlink, made a bid of $959,053.

Penlink merged with Israeli surveillance contractor Cobwebs Technologies in 2023.

The second supplier is Singaporean digital forensics company, Talon Laboratories, which made a bid of $422,000.

The company was founded by digital forensic professionals who were previously from local law enforcement agencies.

Both bidders boast platforms powered by artificial intelligence (AI) that can profile users and track their online activity in real-time.

Telegram channels in Singapore selling and promoting vapes and Kpods. PHOTO: SCREENGRAB FROM TELEGRAM

The requirements set out in the tender include search functions across social media, forums and blogs.

It should also be able to analyse profiles and score them based on the level of risk, with AI-based analysis methods for deep target profiling.

Optional modules requested are for enhanced web investigations with location-based insights.

The tender has not been awarded yet.

The Straits Times has contacted HSA for comment.

A large number of vape transactions here are arranged over the Telegram messaging platform, which HSA monitors alongside social media sites and e-commerce platforms.

HSA said on July 16 it had removed over 600 Telegram groups advertising the sale of vapes here since April 2024.

More than 6,800 online listings of vapes and its related components were previously removed from e-commerce and social media platforms from January 2024 to March 2025.

HSA said its Tobacco Regulation Branch has been actively monitoring and enforcing the ban on advertisements and sales of vapes online using automated tools.

When ST launched its anti-vaping campaign, Vaping: The Invisible Crisis, on July 13, several Telegram channels selling vapes became significantly less active.

The campaign aims to raise awareness on the vape scourge.

Of particular concern is the rise of etomidate-laced vapes, also known as “Kpods”.

Etomidate is a medicinal ingredient used in clinical practice as an anaesthetic agent and is classified as a poison under the Poisons Act.

It was designed to be injected directly into the veins under clinical supervision, and was never meant to be inhaled directly into the lungs.

When vaped, it can trigger spams, breathing difficulties, seizures and even psychosis.

Kpods have reportedly been pushed in Singapore by organised crime groups, with the local authorities now intensifying crackdowns.

Public healthcare institutions have also been told to record all Kpod cases.

Possessing, using or buying vapes carries a maximum fine of $2,000.



Anyone who distributes, imports or sells vapes and their components can be jailed for up to six months and fined up to $10,000.

Those found in possession of or using pods containing etomidate can be jailed for up to two years and fined up to $10,000.

https://www.straitstimes.com/singap...-cyber-surveillance-tool-with-ai-capabilities

 

[Visor9999]

How come Israeli firm also get involved in the biding

 

[cslkelvin]

just pass new law death penalty lah..i tot sg govt very good at passing law.

 

[Suporter]

Hindsight 10/10 as usual.

 

[Medicated Oil]

All the ka kias are so active for the past few weeks.
On Kpods, vape, drug, massage parlor and scam.
All signs are gearing up for a pay adjustment in Sep.

 

[kuti-kuti]

Why must go the simi high tech solution? Just tax vapes like tabacco lor. Vaping also as deadly as tobacco what. so why allow tobacco and ban vape?

Win win solution. Gov coffers more rich, smokers smoke in peace no need hide here and there, no need pull a fast one from pocket take a deep puff quickly push back into pocket look around innocently, best part everyone gets more cdc vouchers, usave rebates etc


HAPPY SG60!

 

[yperic]

“如果Kpods会让人神志不清，甚至危及生命，那它难道不比毒品更可怕？”一位母亲在受访时讲述儿子对Kpods上瘾后的挣扎与痛苦，道出她最深的无力与心碎。 https://zb.sg/Aou5

Note: English subtitles are auto-generated.

#电子烟 #Vape #ZombieVape #Kpods #Etomidate #Vaping

 

[Vinda99]

No need hi tech

Save some money Ahgong

Pls use tried and tested solution called

Sinkie pwn Sinkie

Just offer $0.10 per vapist reported

And watch the magic happen

You're welcome

 

[touchring1]

Anyone stills remember this?

https://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/threads/should-vape-be-unbanned-in-singapore.7127055/

 

[Medicated Oil]

Why must go the simi high tech solution? Just tax vapes like tabacco lor. Win win solution. Gov coffers more rich, smokers smoke in peace no need hide here and there, no need pull a fast one from pocket take a deep puff quickly push back into pocket look around innocently, best part everyone gets more cdc vouchers, usave rebates etc


HAPPY SG60!

They just got started on opening the cans of worms now.
When they realized that there are endless cans, then they will surrender and prata to tax the items heavily.
Like what they did to the casino to DETER the users.
Sg Inc will be converted to Sin Inc.

Once again, they will kick out a few experts to justify their eventual U-turn.

 

[kuti-kuti]

No need hi tech

Save some money Ahgong

Pls use tried and tested solution called

Sinkie pwn Sinkie

Just offer $0.10 per vapist reported

And watch the magic happen

You're welcome

Gov prefer money to enter own pocket... GST, tabacco tax, alcohol tax etc... and oh, the notorious COE

 

[kuti-kuti]

They just got started on opening the cans of worms now.
When they realized that there are endless cans, then they will surrender and prata to tax the items heavily.
Like what they did to the casino to DETER the users.
Sg Inc will be converted to Sin Inc.

Once again, they will kick out a few experts to justify their eventual U-turn.

Now even opening 3rd casino...lol

 

[MrAwesomeX]

Kan chiong liao. You can see all social media, news.. reporting.
Calling sexperts to talk on radio and so on.

Very soon MOE and teachers gonna conduct vape checks on students from primary to jc .

 

[Medicated Oil]

Now even opening 3rd casino...lol

Not much trouble in making more money for the coffers.
When it comes to addressing the needs of the residents, it will be VERY DIFFICULT leh.
Like separation cat for PHV's COE is like Mi$$ion Impo$$ible.

 

[inmyopinion]

Received vouchers & spend on vapes?

most effective way is death sentence for importers, traffickers or those who home made vapes at home.

those caught vaping - caning + jail.
female - longer jail term.

 

[eAtNeAt]

Hsa is the wrong agency to tackle this. It has failed big time.

 

[nonameless]

100% vehicle and walk in X ray scan at checkpoint. Those jhk motorist everyday go thru x-ray with veh can tio cancer....