Two teenagers approached a Primary 4 student from Fairfield Methodist School on 25 Jul 2025. They tried selling him a vape as he walked home from school.
The incident happened in broad daylight near a zebra crossing at Dover Rise. The location sits just five minutes from the school grounds.
The young student said no and walked away. The teenagers teased him when he refused to buy the vape.
Tanjong Pagar GRC MP Rachel Ong heard about this from the student’s parent. She shared the news on her social media that same day. Posts went up on Facebook and Instagram.
“Thankfully, he knew to walk away, but not all our children may know how to respond,” Ong wrote on Instagram.
Principal Soh Mei Foong confirmed Fairfield Methodist School reported the incident immediately after learning about it. The school acted fast on safety concerns.
Students got the news during morning assembly on 28 Jul 2025. They learned a police report had been filed.
“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,” Soh said.
The school put new safety measures in place. Staff will now monitor activities around school grounds after hours.
No similar incidents have reached the school as of 30 Jul 2025, Zaobao reported.
Parents Share Concerns as School Vaping Cases Jump
Parents spread word of the incident through WhatsApp chat groups. Many expressed shock and worry about their children’s safety.
One parent of a Primary 3 student told Lianhe Zaobao he felt shocked and worried. He learned about it through the parents’ group chat.
Ms Wong, 49, has a daughter in Fairfield Methodist School’s secondary section. She’s particularly concerned about Kpods – vapes mixed with synthetic drugs like etomidate.
Parents are now asking each other to watch for strangers and suspicious activities around school. They suggest taking photos of suspicious behavior and calling authorities.
Mr Kelvin Koh, 50, has two boys in both primary and secondary sections at Fairfield Methodist School. He spotted vaping warning signs in the primary school’s foyer and canteen earlier this year.
“I was surprised. It’s basically like ‘no smoking’ signs in primary school, which I thought was a bit young for a primary school. Who in the world would be vaping in a primary school?” he said.
Singapore saw student vaping cases spike across all education levels. Authorities recorded 2,000 cases in 2024 of students from primary schools to higher learning institutes possessing or using vapes.
This marks a sharp jump from 800 cases in 2022 and 900 cases in 2023.
Schools across Singapore have ramped up their vaping watch. The Ministry of Education gives school staff resources on smoking and vaping prevention. This includes procedures for reporting cases to the Health Sciences Authority.
“School personnel are provided with resources on smoking and vaping prevention, and procedures to report smoking and vaping cases to the Health Sciences Authority. These include ‘No Vaping’ signage placed in school compounds,” an MOE spokesperson said.
Since 2023, MOE has worked with the Health Promotion Board and HSA. They send joint advisories to parents every semester through the Parents Gateway portal. These advisories highlight that vapes are illegal and harmful to health.
Health Minister Ong Ye Kung announced on 20 Jul 2025 that etomidate will become a Class C drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act. Etomidate is an anaesthetic commonly found in vape pods. This classification brings heavier penalties for possession and trafficking.
Some vapes seized from schools tested months ago did not contain etomidate. However, one in three vapes seized from the public contained the drug.
“I will not assume that etomidate has not made their way to schools,” Ong said.
Abusing etomidate through vaping can cause muscle spasms, breathing problems and psychosis.
Current penalties for vaping offences include a maximum $2,000 fine for possessing, using or buying vapes. Those who distribute, import or sell vapes and components face up to six months in jail and fines up to $10,000.
People caught with pods containing etomidate can be jailed up to two years and fined up to $10,000.
The public can report vaping-related offences by calling the HSA hotline at 6684-2036 or 6684-2037 from 9am to 9pm daily, including public holidays. Reports can also be submitted online at www.go.gov.sg/reportvape.
