Singapore Ramps Up War on Vaping: Cracking Down on Sales, Drugs, and Youth Use
The island nation of Singapore is intensifying its already strict anti-vaping efforts, demonstrating an unwavering commitment to public health. With a comprehensive ban on vaping in place since February 2018, prohibiting the import, sale, possession, and use of all e-vaporizers, authorities are now executing a multi-pronged crackdown on multiple fronts.
Record Seizures and Digital Clean-Up Target Supply Chains
Between January 2024 and March 2025, the Ministry of Health (MOH) and Health Sciences Authority (HSA) significantly escalated enforcement. Over 17,900 individuals were caught possessing or using e-vaporizers, with 27 offenders prosecuted for failing to pay their fines.
The HSA has been particularly aggressive in dismantling supply chains, seizing an astounding over $41 million worth of e-vaporizers and components during this period—a dramatic surge from previous years. Operations against large-scale syndicates have proven successful, complemented by strengthened border controls in collaboration with the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA), which led to 101 individuals being caught with vapes at various checkpoints.
The HSA is also actively scrubbing online platforms. Since April 2024, over 600 Telegram groups selling or advertising vapes have been removed, marking the first time the HSA has released specific figures for the platform. More than 6,800 listings were purged from other e-commerce and social media platforms between January 2024 and March 2025, more than doubling the figures from the previous year.
Combatting Drug-Laced Vapes and Eyeing Stronger Laws
A growing and alarming concern is the emergence of e-vaporizers laced with psychotropic substances, such as etomidate. In just the first half of 2025, the HSA detected 28 cases of etomidate-laced vape pods, nearly tripling the total found in all of 2024. This alarming trend has prompted the government to consider strengthening existing laws to better address the issue. Medical practitioners and public healthcare institutions have been advised to record all suspected cases and urge patients to surrender their devices for testing.
Educating and Engaging Youth to Prevent Vaping
Beyond enforcement, Singapore is heavily investing in public education and cessation support, with a particular focus on youth. From January 2024 to March 2025, nearly 118,500 students were engaged through educational skits, peer-led initiatives, and outreach activities, all aimed at raising awareness about the dangers of vaping. During the same period, approximately 2,600 students were referred to the HSA by schools and Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) for vaping offenses.
The Health Promotion Board (HPB) offers counseling via its QuitLine and is piloting a year-long virtual cessation counseling program with the Ministry of Education for all secondary schools, commencing this July. A new nationwide anti-vape campaign, "Don't Toy with Your Life," launched mid-June and running through August 2025, employs creative visuals to highlight the deceptive allure and severe consequences of vaping. Enforcement efforts have also been extended to areas surrounding schools and IHLs, with recent checks conducted on July 14.
Singapore's comprehensive and aggressive approach underscores its unwavering determination to prevent vaping from becoming ingrained, particularly among its youth, and to safeguard public health from its associated harms.
