Singapore catches 2,589 vape offenders in three months

SINGAPORE – The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) and the Ministry of Health (MOH) have penalised 2,589 individuals for vaping-related offences between January and March 2026, seizing more than 36,000 devices and uncovering 24 smuggling cases in the same period.

Of those caught, 2,212 (85 per cent) were regular vaporiser offenders, while the remaining 377 faced charges involving etomidate vaporisers.

Supporting these efforts, officers from the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) working alongside the HSA uncovered all 24 of the smuggling cases during intensified operations at air, land, and sea checkpoints. Eleven smugglers have been prosecuted in court, while 13 others are under investigation.

Among those convicted was 36-year-old Malaysian driver Al Kaysar Aldam, who received 16 weeks in prison on 24 February for attempting to smuggle more than 5,000 vapes and related components.

The following day, 45-year-old Neo Yeow Siang was sentenced to 20 months in prison and fined SGD 4,000 for attempting to smuggle over 3,000 etomidate pods into Singapore.

These prosecutions took place under a legal framework that has since become significantly stricter. On 6 March 2026, Parliament passed amendments to the Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) Act 1993, renaming it the Tobacco and Vaporisers Control Act 1993 (TVCA), which came into effect on 1 May 2026. 

The TVCA increased the maximum fine for regular vaping to SGD 10,000, and individuals caught with etomidate vaporisers now face fines of up to SGD 20,000, imprisonment of up to 10 years, or both. The HSA also listed etomidate and its analogues as Specified Psychoactive Substances under a new Schedule in the TVCA, thereby moving them out of the Misuse of Drugs Act framework.

Rehabilitation gains ground, but defaulters face court

Since the launch of mandatory rehabilitation on 1 September 2025, 520 individuals have enrolled in programmes targeting first-time etomidate offenders and second-time regular vaping offenders. Of these, 123 have successfully completed the programme, while 28 individuals have defaulted on the programme and are undergoing court proceedings, and a further 42 are under investigation.

Among those who have completed the programme, the results include a 12-year-old girl who was caught vaping for the second time in October 2025. Her parents reported significant improvements in her behaviour, school attendance and academic performance after she completed the programme in January 2026.

Sellers and online promoters prosecuted

In the first few months of the year, HSA took legal action against 13 people who sold vaporisers. Among them was Chong Jun Keong, 21, who was employed as a packer at two warehouses storing over 40,000 vapes and components. He was sentenced to 41 weeks in prison on 6 January.

Separately, four individuals were charged under the Misuse of Drugs Act for the alleged trafficking of etomidate vaporisers. Those cases are pending sentencing.

The HSA also identified and fined 10 individuals for posting vaping-related content on social media and collaborated with e-commerce and social media platforms to remove over 600 online listings for vapes and related components.

Members of the public who wish to quit can access the QuitVape Programme at https://www.gov.sg/stopvaping/, or call HPB's QuitLine on 1800 438 2000. Support is free for Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents, and individuals who voluntarily seek help will not face penalties nor have an offence record for coming forward.