PUBLISHED ONApril 04, 2025 5:15 AMByKhoo Yi-HangA 24-year-old woman is assisting the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) with investigations after a video of her vaping on a train was uploaded online in March, the Authority said on Friday (April 4).
In the video, she can be seen seated in a MRT train, looking dazed. As she exhales, smoke billows from her nose and mouth, while her legs appear to twitch.
The woman is then seen running a shaky hand through her hair as the video ends.
HSA raided the woman's residence on March 24, where they found one e-vaporiser and three e-vaporiser pods.
Upon running tests on the vape pods, its contents were determined to be etomidate, which is a "potent medicinal ingredient", the authority said.
According to the authority, etomidate is used as an anaesthetic agent and should only be administered under medical supervision.
Adverse effects of etomidate include nausea, vomiting, uncontrollable movement or muscle spasms, changes to breathing and blood pressure, seizures and psychosis as well as physical dependence.
"HSA takes a serious view of the possession and use of e-vaporisers and will take stern action against offenders," the authority said.
"This incident, in which the woman openly vaped on an MRT train, was a flagrant violation of the law."
Under the Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) Act, purchase, possession and use of e-vaporisers are prohibited, including purchases made through the internet and from overseas.
Offenders can be fined up to $2,000, and those possessing or using pods containing etomidate can face a maximum penalty of imprisonment for up to 2 years and a fine of up to $10,000 under the Poisons Act.
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