Student taken to hospital after being caught with vape, behaving aggressively towards staff member

A student from Yuying Secondary School was taken to the hospital after being found with a vape and behaving aggressively towards a staff member.

A video shared on TikTok showed an ambulance at the school, with a student asking: "He took Kpods ah?"

The original video has been deleted but has been shared by separate accounts on TikTok, where one shared on Tuesday (Aug 5) has since garnered almost 30,000 views.

In response to AsiaOne's queries, Chong Jack Sheng, the school's principal, said that the incident happened on July 31 and that there is an ongoing investigation by the Health Sciences Authority (HSA).

Chong said that the police were called after a student displayed aggressive behaviour towards a staff member. The student was subsequently found in possession of an e-vaporiser.

"The safety of our staff and students is a key priority," Chong said, adding that the student is well and that the school is monitoring his well-being.

"We take a comprehensive approach towards preventing and addressing vaping among students, including taking appropriate action for discipline and rehabilitation," said Chong.

Speaking to AsiaOne, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) also confirmed that they received a call for assistance on July 31 at around 3.20pm at 47 Hougang Avenue — Yuying Secondary School's address.

One person was taken to KK Women's and Children's Hospital, said SCDF.

AsiaOne has reached out to HSA for additional comments.

There has been an alarming increase in the number of incidents linked to Kpods — vapes laced with drugs like etomidate or ketamine — amid a wider issue with regard to vaping.

In a bid to crackdown on the usage and sale of Kpods, the Government will be listing etomidate as a Class C drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act, allowing for tougher enforcement against offenders.

Currently, etomidate is classified as a poison that is regulated under the Poisons Act, where abusers are given a fine and sellers can face up to two years in jail.

HSA and the People's Association also launched a new initiative, Bin the Vape, where vape disposal bins have been placed at various locations islandwide.

Vape disposal bins were first placed at community centres from July 25, and have most recently been placed at six autonomous universities, including National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University.

Individuals are encouraged to dispose of their vapes at the bins, and will not face any penalties for doing so. 

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dana.leong@asiaone.com