Primary school student approached by vape peddlers at Dover Road; school alerts authorities

The authorities have been alerted after a Primary 4 student was approached by two teenagers who tried to sell him an e-vaporiser on his way home from school.

The incident involved a student from Fairfield Methodist School (Primary) and occurred on July 25 at a zebra crossing along Dover Rise, which is situated between Fairfield Methodist School and Anglo-Chinese Junior College.

Speaking to AsiaOne, Soh Mei Foong, the principal of Fairfield Methodist School (Primary), said that the school immediately reported the incident to the authorities after being alerted on July 25.

"Students were informed of the incident and reminded not to engage with strangers and to inform trusted adults, should they be approached by any stranger or suspicious person," she said.

The school will also be stepping up their surveillance efforts within the vicinity of the school premises after school as a precautionary measure, said Soh.

A parent of a nine-year-old student from the school told Lianhe Zaobao that he received a WhatsApp message from the class' group chat regarding the incident last Friday. 

The student was reportedly ridiculed after rejecting the peddlers and walking away.

The parent also said that the school had issued a notice to parents on their Parents Gateway platform on Wednesday (30 July).

In response to AsiaOne's queries, a spokesperson from the Ministry of Education (MOE) said that the safety of students is a top priority, and that school personnel and security remain vigilant of any suspicious activities which may pose threats to students.

"School personnel are provided with resources on smoking and vaping prevention, and procedures to report smoking and vaping cases to HSA," said the spokesperson, who added that schools play an active role in educating students about the harms of vaping.

The spokesperson also said that MOE has been working with the Health Promotion Board and the Health Sciences Authority since 2023 to issue joint advisories on the illegality of vapes and their harmful effects to parents.

Rachel Ong, an MP for Tanjong Pagar GRC shared about the incident on her social media accounts that day.

"This happened in broad daylight. Thankfully, he knew to walk away but not all our children may know how to respond," she said, urging parents to speak with their children on how to react to such situations.

Speaking on the sidelines of a media event on Wednesday (July 30), Coordinating Minister for National Security & Minister for Home Affairs, K Shanmugam, spoke about the younger demographic of vape users and said that education regarding vapes needs to begin with parents and schools.

At the event, he also said that the Ministry of Home Affairs will be listing etomidate as a Class C drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act (MDA), in hopes of curbing the drug-laced vapes with harsher penalties.

More students used vapes in 2024

There were 2,000 cases of students, including those from institutes of higher learning, reported for possessing or using e-vaporisers in 2024, said Health Minister Ong Ye Kung in a written parliamentary reply in response to a question by Ong on Feb 26.

This is up from 800 cases in 2022, and 900 cases in 2023.

Possessing, using or buying vapes carries a maximum fine of $2,000.

Anyone who distributes, imports or sells vapes and their components can be jailed for up to six months and fined up to $10,000.

[[nid:720737]]

dana.leong@asiaone.com