The government is taking a much tougher stand on vaping, particularly with the substance etomidate, which will be listed as a Class C drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act (MDA) as of September 1st. This means that without proper authorization, it will be illegal to traffic, manufacture, import, export, possess, or consume the substance.
Health Minister Ong Ye Kung spoke to reporters on the sidelines of a recent event and said that more details will be shared at a press conference on August 28th. He explained that this is a significant change because etomidate is currently only a controlled substance under the Poisons Act. This means that while people who use drug-laced vape pods may be fined now, the new MDA classification will treat them much more seriously. As Mr. Ong said in July, “Under the MDA, they will be treated no differently from those who consume hard drugs and narcotics, such as cannabis or cocaine.” This also means that offenders will be subject to supervision, mandatory rehabilitation, and may even be sent to a drug rehabilitation center.
This move is part of the government’s broader effort to crack down on vaping, which Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced in his National Day Rally speech. Mr. Wong stated that authorities would be treating vaping as a “drug issue” and implementing “much stiffer” penalties, including potential jail sentences and more severe punishments for those who sell vapes that contain harmful substances.
The authorities have a good reason to be concerned. They recently conducted random tests on over 100 vapes that were seized, and a full one-third were found to contain etomidate. These vape pods with the etomidate mixture are also known as Kpods.
Beyond just etomidate, vaping is already against the law in Singapore. This includes purchasing vapes online or from overseas, as well as importing, distributing, and selling them.
