PUBLISHED ONOctober 16, 2025 11:50 AMBYSean LerIn the six weeks since changes to anti-vaping laws saw stiffer penalties for vaping kicked in, 1,339 persons were caught for related offences, said the Ministry of Health and the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) on Thursday (Oct 16).
Of the 1,339, 102 were in possession of e-vaporisers laced with etomidate, also known as Kpods.
"Among them, 67 have been placed on rehabilitation programmes at Institute of Mental Health, Health Promotion Board and social service agencies," said the authorities, adding that two offenders have failed to attend their first rehabilitation appointments.
"HSA is investigating and will prosecute individuals for their e-vaporiser or etomidate-related offences should they fail to attend their rehabilitation appointments," they said.
Over the six-week period, HSA said it received 1,968 reports of vaping-related activities through its online reporting form and hotlines.
It also removed more than 340 online listings, offending websites and Telegram groups with illegal advertisements and posts on vaping.
Five persons, aged between 17 and 40, have been charged in court for alleged trafficking of Kpods.
They include: Derek Khor Boon Chun, 40, who was the first person to be charged under the new anti-vaping laws, a trio, including a 17-year-old female, who were caught during HSA's investigation on a suspected male etomidate abuser, and Heng Yong Qin, 36.
HSA has also charged two persons for smuggling.
Srimaran M Nadarajan, a 27-year-old Malaysian man, was charged on Sept 16 for smuggling more than 19,000 e-vaporisers and related components in consignment of goods declared as "components for motorised external roll-up blinds".
Another Malaysian man, Shahrul Ikhwan Bin Abdullah, was charged on Sept 19 for smuggling more than 1,000 vapes and related components concealed within the modified seats of a Malaysia-registered car he was driving.
Investigations into a 25-year-old Singaporean man who is suspected of smuggling over 9,200 e-vaporiser pods — via an inbound cargo container with its consignment of goods declared as power banks — are ongoing.
At least one 28-year-old foreigner who was found abusing Kpods has been issued a two-year entry ban into Singapore.
Need support around vaping or addiction?
To report vaping offences: Contact Health Sciences Authority's Tobacco Regulation Branch at 6684-2036 / 6684-2037 (9am to 9pm daily) or go.gov.sg/reportvape
To quit vaping: Contact Health Promotion Board's I Quit programme at 1800-438-2000 (8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday) or healthhub.sg/programmes/iquit/e-cig/.
For more support to quit vaping:
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