PUBLISHED ONJuly 21, 2025 4:47 AMBYKhoo Yi-HangThe Health Sciences Authority (HSA) seized 54 vape pods from a teen's home, and tests found that some of them contained etomidate.
The 16-year-old was one of two that had allegedly vaped in a private-hire car while travelling along Bukit Timah Expressway on May 18.
The driver of the vehicle then reported the incident to traffic police, who seized two e-vaporisers from one of the two teens, the authority said in a statement.
Four days later, HSA officers raided the homes of the two teens, seizing 54 vape pods and three e-vaporisers from the same person caught with vapes in the car.
The other teen had no e-vaporisers or related items in his home, HSA said, adding that both are assisting with investigations.
There has been an increase in public feedback regarding vaping-related offences since 2024, the authority said.
While over 3,000 reports were made in the whole of 2024, more than 2,500 reports have already been made in the first half of 2025, the authority revealed.
"In addition, we noted a considerable increase in the number of social media postings showing others vaping in the public," HSA stated.
"Through these public feedback and social media postings, HSA was able to use them as an additional source of surveillance data to intensify our enforcement activities."
It will also be enhancing reporting channels beginning on Monday (July 21), with an expansion of the hotline service (66842036 or 66842037) to operate from 9am to 9pm throughout the week.
A new online reporting platform will also allow more convenient access for the public to report illegal e-vaporiser activities.
At a doorstop interview on vaping enforcement on Sunday (July 20), Health Minister Ong Ye Kung highlighted concerns the Ministry of Health (MOH) and Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) have regarding the rise in etomidate-laced vaping.
"As an interim measure, we are working with MHA to list etomidate as a Class C drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act (MDA)," he said.
"Today, e-vaporisers are no longer just used for the delivery of nicotine," Ong said. "They are being used to deliver a range of substances and what we are seeing is the delivery of etomidate."
He shared that etomidate, a controlled substance under the Poisons Act, is "damaging" when consumed via vapes.
Ong explained that etomidate can cause permanent organ failure and hallucinations, and that the substance has been linked to fatal traffic accidents and other unnatural deaths.
Among 100 vapes that were seized and taken for testing, a third of them were positive for etomidate, he added.
Under MDA, users of etomidate will be "treated no differently" from those who consume hard drugs and narcotics such as cannabis or cocaine, Ong stated.
This change will take a few weeks to come into effect, he said, urging those who use etomidate-laced vapes to stop as soon as possible.
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