Two teenagers approached a Primary 4 student from Fairfield Methodist School on 25 Jul 2025, attempting to sell him a vape as he walked home from school.
The incident occurred in broad daylight near a zebra crossing at Dover Rise, just five minutes away from the school premises.
The young student declined the offer and walked away from the teenagers. When he refused to buy the vape, the sellers teased him before he left the area.
Tanjong Pagar GRC MP Rachel Ong learned about the incident from the student’s parent and alerted the community through her social media accounts that same day. She posted on both Facebook and Instagram, emphasising that the incident happened in broad daylight.
“Thankfully, he knew to walk away, but not all our children may know how to respond,” Ong said on Instagram.
Principal Soh Mei Foong confirmed that Fairfield Methodist School immediately reported the incident to authorities after being informed. The school took swift action to address safety concerns.
Students were informed about what happened during morning assembly on 28 Jul 2025, when they were told that a police report had been made.
“Students were informed of the incident and reminded not to engage with strangers and to inform trusted adults should they be approached by any stranger or suspicious person,” Soh said.
The school implemented additional safety measures following the incident. As a precautionary step, the school will monitor activities around the school premises after school hours.
No similar incidents have been reported to the school as of 30 Jul 2025, according to Zaobao.
Parents Rally Together as Vaping Cases Surge in Singapore Schools
Parents shared details of the incident across various WhatsApp chat groups, expressing shock and concern for their children’s safety.
One parent of a Primary 3 student told Lianhe Zaobao that he felt shocked and worried after learning about the incident through the parents’ group chat.
Ms Wong, a 49-year-old parent whose daughter attends the secondary section of Fairfield Methodist School, expressed particular concern about Kpods – vapes laced with synthetic drugs such as etomidate.
You can watch this video to know more about kpods:
Parents are now calling on each other in chat groups to watch out for strangers and suspicious activities around the school. They have suggested taking pictures of suspicious activities and alerting authorities.
Mr Kelvin Koh, a 50-year-old father of two boys attending both the primary and secondary sections of Fairfield Methodist School, had noticed vaping warning signs in the primary school’s foyer and canteen earlier in 2025.
“I was surprised. It’s basically like ‘no smoking’ signs in primary school, which I thought was a bit young for a primary school. Who in the world would be vaping in a primary school?” he said.
Singapore has witnessed a dramatic increase in student vaping cases across all education levels. In 2024, authorities recorded 2,000 cases of students from primary schools to institutes of higher learning possessing or using vapes.
This represents a sharp jump from 800 cases in 2022 and 900 cases in 2023.
Schools across Singapore have responded by stepping up their vigilance against vaping. The Ministry of Education provides school personnel with resources on smoking and vaping prevention, plus procedures for reporting cases to the Health Sciences Authority.
“School personnel are provided with resources on smoking and vaping prevention, and procedures to report smoking and vaping cases to the Health Sciences Authority. These include ‘No Vaping’ signage placed in school compounds,” an MOE spokesperson said.
Since 2023, MOE has collaborated with the Health Promotion Board and HSA to issue joint advisories to parents every semester through the Parents Gateway portal. These advisories highlight both the illegal nature of vapes and their harmful health effects.
Health Minister Ong Ye Kung announced on 20 Jul 2025 that etomidate, an anaesthetic commonly found in vape pods, will be classified as a Class C drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act. This classification carries heavier penalties for possession and trafficking.
Some vapes seized from schools had been tested months prior and did not contain etomidate. However, one in three vapes seized from the public did contain the drug.
“I will not assume that etomidate has not made their way to schools,” Ong said.
Abusing etomidate through vaping can lead to muscle spasms, respiratory depression and psychosis.
Current penalties for vaping offences include a maximum fine of $2,000 for possessing, using or buying vapes. Those who distribute, import or sell vapes and their components face up to six months in jail and fines up to $10,000.
People found possessing or using pods containing etomidate can be jailed for up to two years and fined up to $10,000.
The public can report vaping-related offences by calling the HSA reporting hotline at 6684-2036 or 6684-2037 from 9am to 9pm daily, including public holidays. Reports can also be submitted online at www.go.gov.sg/reportvape.
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