A 16-year-old boy was found with 54 vape pods and three vapes during a Health Sciences Authority (HSA) raid on 22 May.
The discovery came after the teenager and another 16-year-old were allegedly caught vaping in a Grab ride on 18 May.
Vaping Leads to Major Drug-Laced Vape Discovery
The Grab driver overheard the boys saying they were going to get “Kpods” – vapes laced with drugs. Concerned about their conversation, the driver alerted a passing Traffic Police vehicle.
Several officers arrived at the scene and seized two vapes from one of the boys. HSA conducted follow-up checks by raiding the home of the boy caught with the vapes.
Testing revealed that some of the 54 vape pods contained etomidate. This medicinal ingredient is used as an anaesthetic and classified as a poison under the Poisons Act.
A search of the second boy’s home turned up no vapes or related components. Both teenagers are assisting HSA in their investigations.
Health Minister Ong Ye Kung announced on 20 Jul that the Ministry of Health will work with the Ministry of Home Affairs to list etomidate as a Class C drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act.
Public Reports Drive Enforcement Against Vaping Offences
HSA received more than 2,500 reports about vaping offences in the first half of 2025. This compares to more than 3,000 reports for the entire year of 2024.
The authority has noted a considerable increase in social media posts showing people vaping in public. These reports and posts serve as additional surveillance data to intensify enforcement efforts.
On 30 April, a video posted on social media showed a 24-year-old man vaping in a lift. HSA identified him and raided his residence on 16 May, seizing two vapes. He is now assisting HSA investigations.
Another case involved a 58-year-old man seen sitting on a road holding a vape in a video posted online on 19 May. He was shaking uncontrollably and unable to walk by himself, requiring help from passers-by to get off the road.
HSA identified the man and raided his residence on 22 May. Though nothing was found during the search, he admitted to vaping and received a composition fine from HSA.
On 11 July, HSA received public feedback and caught a 21-year-old man allegedly distributing vapes and components in Bishan and Ubi. During subsequent raids, officers seized almost three tonnes of vapes.
The man was identified by The Straits Times as Malaysian Chong Jun Keong. He was charged in court on 14 July for allegedly distributing about 2,915kg of vapes in just one day. The case was adjourned to 11 August.
HSA will extend operating hours for the Tobacco Regulation Branch hotline (6684 2036 or 6684 2037) from Monday (21 July). The hotline will operate from 9am to 9pm, seven days a week, including public holidays.
A new online reporting platform will also be launched at go.gov.sg/reportvape for the public to report vaping activities.
When asked about the situation in schools, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung told media that the ministry did not detect any etomidate-laced vapes among those seized from schools. However, he does not want to assume the situation is fine.
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