3 Men Arrested for Robbing Youth of E-Vaporising Equipment, Mobile Phone in Newton

By
Avery
-

Here is the conundrum of every criminal: if someone commits a crime on you while you are committing a crime, do you call the police?

Well, Thursday (8 Apr) showed us that the answer was yes, as reported by The Straits Times.

3 Men Arrested for Robbing Youth of E-Vaporising Equipment, Mobile Phone in Newton

The police were informed at 9:55pm that a robbery had occurred in Chancery Lane near Newton; the 19-year-old victim apparently had 50 boxes of vaporiser pods and 10 vaporiser components robbed from him.

How do you even carry 50 boxes of vape pods around?

The three suspected perpetrators were soon arrested after they were identified by closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage and witness inquiries. Further investigations are ongoing. 

If convicted of robbery with hurt, they will face imprisonment for a minimum of five years, and caning of at least 12 strokes. 

Ouch.

The very questionable amount of vaping equipment means the four are all being investigated under the Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) Act, which criminalises their sale.

First-time offenders can be fined up to S$10,000 or be sentenced to six months of imprisonment.

What’s The Deal With Vaping?

The purchase, possession, and use of e-cigarettes were banned in 2017 as a precautionary measure to “prevent an epidemic” of youth use, according to TODAYonline.

So, what are they, and why is the government taking such drastic measures?

E-cigarettes, also known as electronic nicotine delivery systems, produce an aerosol from a liquid, which the user then breathes in, rather than lighting tobacco on fire. The liquid usually contains nicotine, but also accommodates other substances like flavorings, according to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration.

They can be particularly attractive to youths with a myriad of packaging and flavoring options, though, according to Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Health and Home Affairs Amrin Amin, they can be just as harmful as smoking cigarettes given their nicotine content.

While they are used in some countries as a way to ease withdrawals when smokers quit, Amin argues they can also become a stepping stone for youths to experiment with nicotine use before starting with smoking cigarettes. 

Conventional cigarettes are not outlawed, however, because smokers’ dependence on them means they would simply resort to smuggled cigarettes, according to Amin.

Other countries, too, have taken action against e-cigarettes, including about 40 others implementing a similar ban. 

The U.S. banned most flavoured vaping products and resolved to tax nicotine in e-cigarettes. Australia, meanwhile, has banned the use, sale, and purchase of nicotine for vaping use.

Feature Image: Singapore Police Force (SPF)

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Avery
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