US EditionHigher Fines for Vape Users, Caning for Kpod Suppliers Among Harsher Penalties to Kick in From September
One in three confiscated vapes contained etomidate, prompting Singapore to impose fines, caning, and rehabilitation for users, importers, and suppliers starting September 1, 2025.
- On Aug 28, the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Home Affairs announced that etomidate and its analogues will be reclassified as Class C drugs, effective Sept 1, with harsher penalties.
- A July random testing found one in three confiscated vapes contained etomidate, and rising reports of Kpods and viral social media videos prompted Prime Minister Lawrence Wong to address vaping as a 'drug issue' on Aug 17.
- Health officials detailed that users of etomidate-laced vapes face fines plus up to six months' mandatory rehabilitation, while importers and suppliers face jail terms up to 20 years and 15 strokes of the cane.
- HSA officers will gain powers of arrest as several hundred support enforcement; schools and IHLs must report vaping incidents with penalties; vape disposal bins will be removed from general locations on Aug 31.
- The Class C listing is an interim six-month measure ending Feb 28, 2026, while Ministry of Health studies laws; Hong Kong and China listed etomidate this year, prompting regional border and land-crossing checks amid international regulatory context.
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11 Articles
Singapore Cracks Down On Drug Vapes With Caning And Fines
Singapore is turning up the heat on vaping — and this time, the penalties are harsher than ever. Think bigger fines, longer jail terms, and yes, even caning. For foreigners, deportation could be on the table too.The tough stance isn’t new. Singapore banned vaping back in 2018. But in recent months, a dangerous twist has emerged: drug-laced vapes, packed with etomidate, an anaesthetic that mimics the effects of ketamine. Known on the streets as “…
GMA Filipino News
Singapore to impose harsher penalties on drug-laced vapes from September
SINGAPORE - Singapore will take a harder stance against drug-laced vapes from September as it changes the classification of anaesthetic agent etomidate from a poison to a drug, the government announced on Thursday.
Singapore to take harsher stance on drug-laced vapes
Singapore will take a harder stance against drug-laced vapes from September. Photo: Getty Images Singapore will take a harder stance against drug-laced vapes from September as it changes the classification of anaesthetic agent etomidate from a poison to a drug, the government announced today.
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