Caning and fines for those caught in Singapore drug vape crackdown

Hind Al Soulia - Riyadh - SINGAPORE — Singaporean authorities have announced tougher penalties for vaping as they try to crack down on the increasing use of drug-laced vapes in the country.

These include stiffer fines, longer jail terms and even caning. Foreigners may also be deported.

While Singapore was one of the first places in the world to ban vaping in 2018, the practice has persisted and in recent months the city-state has seen a rise in popularity of vapes laced with etomidate, an anaesthetic drug.

This has caused widespread alarm in the country which has some of the world's toughest drug laws.

In recent months, authorities have acknowledged the growing prevalence of etomidate-laced vapes, more popularly known as Kpods in Singapore. The nickname is short for "ketamine pods" and refers to how etomidate has similar effects to ketamine.

A test of a random sample of 100 seized vapes in July found that a third contained etomidate.

Videos of teenagers and young adults acting erratically in public while vaping have also gone viral on social media, sparking concern among Singaporeans who widely support the country's tough penalties on drug trafficking and use.

Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said on Thursday that the tougher laws were needed as "vapes have become a gateway for very serious substance abuse" where the devices have become "delivery devices" for drugs.

The government has sharpened its penalties for vaping, while reclassifying etomidate as a Class C controlled drug for six months. The new rules will come into effect on 1 September.

Those caught using or possessing vapes — even regular ones — will face increased fines starting from S$500 (£288; $390) and state-mandated rehabilitation. The penalties will be even harsher for those caught with etomidate-laced vapes.

Suppliers of drug-laced vapes will face up to 20 years in jail and 15 strokes of the cane.

Foreigners working in Singapore will not only face the same penalties, but also risk getting their residential and employment permits revoked, and may be deported and banned from re-entering the country.

The rules also apply to tourists. The BBC understands that signs will be placed throughout Changi Airport that will remind arriving visitors of the vaping ban, along with vape disposal bins so that users can get rid of their devices without facing penalties.

The rules are intended as an interim measure while the government comes up with new laws to deal with etomidate and any other drug that could be delivered through vapes.

These measures come on top of a large-scale public health campaign and enforcement programme.

In recent weeks the island has been blanketed with government advertisements on buses, trains and public areas urging people to stop vaping, while local media outlets have been awash with reports on the issue.

Vape disposal bins have been placed in community clubs and universities, while an anti-vaping health education programme has been rolled out in schools.

Authorities have also launched roving patrols of trains, bus terminals and parks, where officials can conduct spot checks on members of the public and search their bags.

With many of the vapes in Singapore coming from neighbouring countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia, authorities have also stepped up checks at land crossings, the airport, and other points of entry into the island.

Singapore's crackdown comes as other countries have moved to impose stiffer rules on vaping to curb the use among children and young people.

In June, the UK banned the sale of disposable vapes, after Belgium did so in January.

Australia has banned vaping in some form since 2023, starting with non-prescription vapes and then disposable vapes. — BBC