PUBLISHED ONJuly 22, 2025 9:23 AMBYKoh Xing YingA father has shared his frustrations and concerns after his son was dismissed from multiple jobs due to an addiction to 'Kpods' — vape pods containing liquid laced with etomidate, a powerful anaesthetic.
In an interview with Shin Min Daily News, the father, who did not wish to be named, said his son, who is in his 20s, began using the e-vaporisers in January last year.
However, it wasn't until January this year that his appearance and mental state changed dramatically.
Before-and-after photos seen by Shin Min showed a shocking transformation: from a healthy young man with a ruddy complexion and strong physique to someone pale, thin, and with dull eyes.
Despite bringing his son for counselling in March this year and receiving repeated assurances that he would quit his addiction, the young man continued to break his promises.
What disappointed him most was seeing his son come home recently with an unsteady gait and vacant expression — a clear sign that he had relapsed.
"I have seen his hands tremble, his eyes go blank and sometimes he has to hold onto the wall just to walk," said the father, adding that his son had been fired from three to four jobs this year due to the addiction.
However, the situation worsened when his son, who was financially desperate, began borrowing money from a loan company, resulting in a wave of collection letters sent to the family.
The father revealed that he and his wife have used their life savings to pay off most of their son's debts.
According to the Chinese daily, one of the collection notices showed that each loan was around $2,500.
"I'm heartbroken at his actions, but he's still my son. I told him that as long as he stops smoking, I would pay off the $30,000 debt he owes," he said, adding that he and his wife still have no idea where their son obtained the e-vaporisers.
"I feel completely hopeless. I don't even dare report this to the Health Sciences Authority. If they fine him and he can't pay, we'll be the ones left to bear the cost."
The father told Shin Min that during Chinese New Year, his son was even assaulted by a seller after failing to pay for e-vaporisers bought on credit.
"The person told him that if he couldn't pay, he'd have to run errands to repay the debt. Isn't that illegal?" the father questioned, revealing that strangers have also taken photos of their front door.
In March alone, the father said he found more than 20 e-vaporisers in his son's room.
"Sometimes I'd confiscate them, and he'd just go out for a walk and come back with a new one," he said, adding that many of the devices come in various shapes and colours.
In a desperate attempt to help, the father told Shin Min that he quit his job in March and stayed home to supervise his son for a month.
"I was worried he'd buy more e-vaporisers, and I hoped he'd quit and stay away from bad influences," he said.
With his son initially showed signs of improvement, the father returned to work in April — only to discover that his son had secretly resumed vaping.
The father said he hopes to warn others about the dangers of vapes through his personal experience, while urging authorities to step up enforcement and introduce policies that impose equal penalties on both buyers and sellers.
Under the Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) Act, the purchase, possession, and use of e-vaporisers are illegal, with offenders facing fines of up to $2,000.
Possessing or using pods containing etomidate, a controlled substance under the Poisons Act that can cause permanent organ failure and hallucinations, can result in jail of up to two years and a fine of up to $10,000.
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