Medical practitioners must now record all cases of e-vaporiser use and related symptoms suggesting etomidate intoxication, amid "rising concerns" regarding Kpod use in Singapore.

In a circular issued on July 9, the Ministry of Health (MOH) and Health Sciences Authority (HSA) said that there has been a "concerning increase" in the use of Kpods — e-vaporisers containing the anaesthetic agent etomidate — in Singapore between 2024 and 2025.

"Some users of these products have exhibited etomidate-related adverse effects, such as the loss of motor coordination, confusion, dizziness and slurred speech," the healthcare authorities said.

The circular highlighted how etomidate and its analogues have been notably detected in illicit drug markets in East and South-east Asia, according to a United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime report in March.

Etomidate is an anaesthetic agent used in clinical settings and is classified as a poison under the Poisons Act. This means a licence is required for its import or sale. 

In a bid to crackdown on Kpod use, MOH and HSA said they are studying the "harm and addictiveness of etomidate use in e-vaporisers" through individuals who seek medical attention.

This include those who seek help at the emergency departments, urgent care centres or the psychiatry departments of the public healthcare institutions or National Addictions Management Service in the Institute of Mental Health (IMH).

The studies will inform and shape policy going forward, including whether existing regulations and license conditions issued need to be tightened or amended.

Confiscate all e-vaporisers 

Currently, those possessing or using pods containing etomidate can face a maximum penalty of imprisonment for up to two years, a fine of up to $10,000, or both, under the Poisons Act.

According to the circular, medical practitioners were told to observe symptoms like slurred speech, seizures, motor incoordination and arrythmias, among a list of symptoms related to etomidate intoxication.

They were also instructed to confiscate all e-vaporisers and consider sending patients' urine samples to HSA for toxicology testing.

Medical practitioners were also informed to reassure patients that enforcement actions against them for previous e-vaporiser use will not be taken when they voluntarily come forward to seek medical assistance.

MOH and HSA also said that members of the public who have sought assistance through the Health Promotion Board’s smoking/vaping cessation phone counselling service, QuitLine, may be directed to seek medical advice and assessment at public health institutions' emergency departments.

MOH and HSA had previously said that over 17,900 persons were caught for the possession and use of e-vaporisers from January 2024 to March 2025. 

Over $41 million worth of vapes and related components were also seized between that period. 

dana.leong@asiaone.com

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