54 e-vaporiser pods, or vape pods, were found in the home of a 16-year-old boy on 22 May.
The discovery came after the boy was caught allegedly vaping in a private-hire vehicle, said the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) in a press release on Sunday (20 July).
Source: Health Sciences Authority
The boy involved and another 16-year-old boy reportedly started using vapes as soon as they got into a Grab ride on 18 May, in a case previously reported by Shin Min Daily News.
Their driver also overheard them saying they were going to get “Kpods”, or vapes laced with drugs.
Concerned, he alerted a passing Traffic Police vehicle, and several officers eventually arrived at the scene.
Source: Shin Min Daily News
They seized two vapes from one of the boys, HSA said.
Source: Shin Min Daily News
As part of follow-up checks, HSA officers raided the home of the boy who had been caught with two vapes in the car.
Besides 54 vape pods, they also found three vapes.
HSA tested the pods, and some of them were found to contain etomidate — a medicinal ingredient used as an anaesthetic and classified as a poison under the Poisons Act.
A search of the other boy’s home turned up no vape or related components.
Both boys are assisting in HSA’s investigations.
HSA highlighted other cases that came to light based on public feedback.
On 30 April, a video posted on social media showed a man vaping in a lift.
The 24-year-old was identified, and on 16 May, HSA raided his residence, where two vapes were seized.
He is now assisting HSA investigations.
In another case, a man was seen sitting on the road, holding a vape, in a video posted online on May 19.
He was shaking uncontrollably and unable to walk by himself, requiring passers-by to help him off the road.
The 58-year-old man was identified, and his residence was raided on 22 May.
Though nothing was found, he admitted to vapin,g and HSA fined him.
On 11 July, HSA received public feedback and caught a 21-year-old allegedly distributing vapes and components in Bishan and Ubi.
During subsequent HSA raids, officers seized almost three tonnes of vapes.
The man, identified by The Straits Times as Malaysian Chong Jun Keong, was charged in court on 14 July.
He allegedly distributed about 2,915kg of vapes in just one day.
The case was adjourned to 11 Aug.
HSA said it has received more public feedback on vaping offences since last year.
In the first half of this year, it received more than 2,500 reports, compared with more than 3,000 in the whole of 2024.
Source: Health Sciences Authority
There has also been a “considerable increase” in the number of social media posts showing people vaping in public.
The feedback and posts have been used by HSA as an “additional source of surveillance data” to intensify enforcement, it added.
To step up the fight against vaping, HSA will extend the operating hours of the Tobacco Regulation Branch hotline (6684 2036 or 6684 2037) for the public to report vaping incidents.
From Monday (21 July), it will open from 9am to 9pm, seven days a week, including public holidays.
A new online reporting platform will also be launched at go.gov.sg/reportvape for the public to report such activities.
Also read: S’pore man hooked on ‘Kpod’ vapes tries to jump from corridor, attacks mother who stops him
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Featured image adapted from Health Sciences Authority and Shin Min Daily News.