Families For Life | Facts About Vaping

Fact 4: Vaping devices are not easy to recognise.

Vaping devices come in various shapes and sizes.
Some look like traditional tobacco products like cigarette while others resemble everyday items like USB flash drives and pens.

Due to its harmful effects, persons who vape etomidate may walk unsteadily, appear to be in a daze and unaware of their surroundings.

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Fact 2: Vapes contain toxic chemicals.

The reality is that vapes contain not only nicotine, but also cancer-causing chemicals that have short-term and long-term effects.
Vaping can lead to severe health effects including diseased heart, addicted brain and popcorn lungs, even short-term hits may cause dizziness or chest pain.
As of 18 Feb 2020, vaping has been linked to 68 deaths and over 2,807 cases of lung injury related to vaping in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the US has called this outbreak EVALI, or E-cigarette or Vaping product use-Associated Lung Injury.
In 2021, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared vaping is harmful to health and not safer alternatives to regular cigarettes.

Watch this 1-min video to understand the harms of vaping from Dr Devanand Anantham, SingHealth and SingHealth Duke-NUS Lung Centre.

Learn more about the short-term and long-term effects of vaping here.

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Fact 5: 12% of vapes seized in Aug 2025 in Singapore had etomidate.

Kpods are vape pods that contain dangerous drugs like synthetic weed (called Spice or K2) or very strong cannabis oil.
They look exactly like typical vape pods used in devices so you can't tell them apart just by looking.
Unlike vaping liquids (which are already illegal in Singapore), Kpods contain harmful drugs such as etomidate making them much more dangerous.
Etomidate is a prescription-only anaesthetic that should only be administered under medical supervision. When used, etomidate can cause nausea, vomiting, uncontrollable movement, muscle spasm, seizures and breathing difficulties.

Important update from 1 May 2026:

Under the Tobacco and Vaporisers Control Act (TVCA), any tobacco products, vaporisers and imitation tobacco products, containing “Specified Psychoactive Substances” (SPS) will also be prohibited.
From 1 May 2026, etomidate and its analogues will be listed as SPS under the TVCA and delisted as a controlled drug from the Misuse of Drugs Act (MDA).
At the same time, penalties for possession, use, purchase, import and supply of products containing Specific Psychoactive Substances (SPS), including etomidate are now much stricter.

Using or possessing etomidate laced e-vaporisers

	Before 1 Sept 2025	After 1 Sept 2025	After 1 May 2026
1st time offenders	NOC of $300 (for those below 18 years old) and $500 (for adults) Offenders may be prosecuted under the Poisons Act and liable to a maximum penalty of imprisonment for up to 2 years and/or fine up to $10,000	Increased NOC of $500 (for those below 18 years old) and $700 (for adults) Attend rehabilitation for up to 6 months	Suppliers: Two to 10 years’ imprisonment and two to five strokes of the cane Importers: Three to 20 years’ imprisonment and five to 15 strokes of the cane Individuals: Can be fined up to $20,000, or face up to 10 years of imprisonment, or both
2nd time offenders		Mandatory supervision for 6 months, including drug tests and rehabilitation Face prosecution if mandatory supervision is not completed
Subsequent offenders		(Below 16 years) Mandatory supervision inclusing drug testing for 12 months (16 years and above) Admitted to Drug Rehabilitation Centre (DRC) for treatment and rehabilitation, and mandatory supervision, including drug testing for 12 months

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Fact 3: Vaping is addictive.

Vapes contain a highly addictive chemical, nicotine.
When inhaled, nicotine is quickly absorbed into the bloodstream and within seconds, activates certain chemical reactions in the brain, giving the user a pleasurable "high" and making them crave more.
Vaping can be habit-forming when used as a coping mechanism during times of stress or when it becomes a part of a regular ritual where it is associated with a particular activity.

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5 Facts About Vaping

Fact 1: Vaping is illegal in Singapore.

Since 1 February 2018, the purchase, possession and use of e-vaporisers and other emerging/imitation tobacco products became prohibited in addition to existing bans on importation, sale and distribution.
From 1 September 2025, stronger penalties and enforcement were in place to tackle vaping.
With effect from 1 May 2026, the Tobacco and Vaporisers Control Act (TVCA) will further strengthen enforcement against vaping and products containing Specific Psychoactive Substances (SPS) such as etomidate.
Read the latest information: https://www.gov.sg/stopvaping-penalties/

Using or possessing e-vaporisers

	Before 1 Sept 2025	After 1 Sept 2025	After 1 May 2026
1st time offenders	• Notice of Composition (NOC) of $300 (for offenders under 18 years old) and $500 (for adults)	Increased NOC of $500 (for those below 18 years old) and $700 (for adults)	• Suppliers: Mandatory imprisonment for up to six years, and a fine of up to $200,000 • Importers: Mandatory imprisonment for up to nine years, and a fine of up to $300,000 • Individuals: Can be fined up to $10,000
2nd time offenders		Attend Rehabilitation for 3 months
3rd or more time offenders		Prosecution and subject to a maximum fine of $2,000

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