Current legislation around vaping may be strengthened following the increased detection in Singapore of electronic vaporisers containing substances such as etomidate and other controlled drugs.
Government agencies are considering further steps to better address the vaping issue, including whether current laws for enforcement can be enhanced, the Ministry of Health (MOH) and Ministry of Home Affairs told The Straits Times on July 12.
In response to queries, the ministries said the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) has already detected 28 cases where e-vaporiser pods were found to contain etomidate within the first half of 2025. This is nearly three times as many as the 10 cases detected in 2024.
Vaping was banned in Singapore in February 2018.
Between January 2024 and March 2025, HSA, which is the enforcement agency for vaping-related offences, seized more than $41 million worth of e-vaporisers and their related components.
“The trend of e-vaporisers containing psychotropic substances such as etomidate and controlled drugs has been observed overseas and now in Singapore,” the ministries said in their statement.
In April, a 13-year-old girl was detained after she was spotted behaving erratically outside the State Courts while puffing on an e-cigarette. A subsequent raid of her home found that she had an etomidate-laced device, also known as a Kpod, in her possession.
HSA later identified and caught the 25-year-old man who sold the e-vaporiser to the girl. One e-vaporiser and three pods seized from him were also found to contain etomidate.
The man, his 26-year-old wife and the teenager are all assisting in the investigation.
In their statement, the ministries described vaping as a serious issue that MOH has been concerned about. “With e-vaporisers now incorporating psychotropic substances such as etomidate, the concerns have been heightened.”
The ministries said various agencies have been conducting rigorous enforcement to tackle the issue.
“For example, the HSA works closely with agencies such as the Singapore Police Force, Central Narcotics Bureau, Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA), National Parks Board and National Environment Agency (NEA), to enforce against e-vaporisers.
“The Health Promotion Board is also working with the Ministry of Education to raise awareness about the harms of vaping amongst students, and support individuals seeking to stop the habit of vaping through the I Quit Programme,” the ministries added.
As part of surveillance and enforcement efforts, the ministries said that HSA targets three key areas: monitoring activities online and at targeted hot spots, disrupting supply chains, and taking action against those who supply or use e-vaporisers.
“HSA has intensified operations against both physical and online distribution networks, strengthened border controls with ICA, and increased enforcement presence in public spaces, together with NEA, where vaping is prevalent,” the ministries said, adding that HSA also takes action against advertisements targeting Singaporeans.
As a result, more offences have been detected and offenders taken to task, they added.
The ministries noted that etomidate, which is classified as a poison and regulated under the Poisons Act, has clinical use as an anaesthetic agent. It is permitted only in clinical settings and subject to strict conditions.
“The etomidate found in e-vaporisers or supplied in oil capsules or formulations to be inhaled directly into users’ lungs are not medical products and are prohibited,” the ministries said.
They added that cases involving etomidate-laced vapes that agencies come across are referred to HSA for further action, similar to other medication-related substances.
The ministries said the adverse effects of etomidate when used in vapes can be serious, including causing involuntary movements or spasm of muscles, confusion, seizures and psychosis.
“It can lead to physical dependence,” they added.
Enforcement agencies will be stepping up and coordinating closely to take stern action against those who import, sell, distribute, possess, use or purchase e-vaporisers, particularly those laced with etomidate, under the appropriate legislations, the ministries said.
The spread of drug-laced e-vaporisers has also raised concerns in Malaysia, where police revealed that 65 per cent of the vape liquids seized since 2023 contained banned substances such as synthetic cannabinoids.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime had reported in May that there has been an increase in the detection of e-vaporisers laced with synthetic drugs and pharmaceutical products like etomidate in East Asia and South-east Asia.
Under current laws in Singapore, possessing, using and buying e-vaporisers carry a maximum fine of $2,000.
Distributing, importing and selling prohibited tobacco products such as vapes and their components carry a heavier penalty – a fine of up to $10,000, or imprisonment of up to six months, or both.
Andrew Wong for The Straits Times
Government may enhance vaping laws to tackle drug-laced vapes
