Singapore has significantly intensified its enforcement against e-cigarettes, which have been banned in the city-state since 2018. Authorities at Woodlands Checkpoint, the main land crossing with Malaysia, are conducting thorough searches of vehicles to intercept vaping supplies. Methods of concealment by smugglers have evolved, leading to adapted detection techniques by customs officers.
The ban on vapes was initially implemented as a precautionary measure to assess health effects. Despite the ban, an underground market for e-cigarettes continued to operate online. In recent years, a new product called K-pods, vapes laced with the anesthetic etomidate, emerged and gained popularity on the black market. Reports of young people affected by K-pods led to public concern. A random test of 100 seized vapes found approximately one-third contained etomidate.
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong declared vaping a drug issue, committing the government to crack down on all vapes, not just K-pods. New penalties for vapers were introduced in September, including state-mandated rehabilitation and fines up to 10,000 Singapore dollars. Sellers, especially those with drug-laced vapes, face up to 20 years in jail and 15 strokes of the cane. Foreigners are subject to the same penalties and can be deported. Strict rules apply in schools, with students caught vaping facing suspension, expulsion, and caning. Additional legislation targeting etomidate and other potential vape additives is expected.
Public awareness campaigns against vaping have been launched across the island and on social media, utilizing references to popular culture to reach youth. A hotline for reporting suspected vaping has received over 2,600 reports in its initial nine weeks. Authorities have also placed "vape bins" for voluntary disposal and conduct roving patrols and bag checks. Between September and November, nearly 2,000 people were arrested for vaping offenses. Police figures indicate a decline in the percentage of drug-laced vapes among seized items.
While public opposition to the crackdown is minimal, some individuals have voiced concerns privately. One vaper, Michael, argued against the blanket ban, stating it removes personal choice and contrasts with the legality of cigarettes. Another vaper, Toby, acknowledged the efficiency of the crackdown for protecting youth but felt it unfairly affected adult users of regular vapes, potentially leading them back to cigarette smoking. An editorial in Jom magazine suggested that the 2018 ban may have inadvertently incentivized black marketers to create high-value, addictive products like K-pods.
In response, a Singapore health ministry spokesperson stated the ban was enacted to prevent vaping from becoming entrenched and to pre-empt new harmful products. The dean of the National University of Singapore's Saw Swee Hock School Of Public Health, Teo Yik Ying, supported the ban, arguing it contained the problem, unlike countries that legalized vapes and saw demand and illicit trade surge.