Singapore tightens vaping rules, moves etomidate under the Misuse of Drugs Act. Photo credit: Oka Bemby, Pexels.
Since September 1, 2025, Singapore has been enforcing a new suite of anti-vaping measures that dramatically increase penalties for users and suppliers while reclassifying certain products under the country’s drug-control regime.
Although the city-state was among the first in the world to ban e-cigarettes in 2018, vaping has remained a popular habit. In recent months, authorities have observed a sharp rise in e-vaporizers laced with harmful substances, most notably etomidate, an anesthetic drug linked to erratic behavior and seizures. Between January 2024 and March 2025, the Health Sciences Authority confiscated S$41 million (US$31.93 million) worth of e-vaporizers, compared to just S$95,460 in 2019. Seizures of etomidate-laced pods, known locally as Kpods, almost tripled in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period last year.
The surge in drug-laced vapes has caused widespread alarm in Singapore, which enforces some of the world’s toughest drug laws. In response, the government has tightened penalties for vaping and moved etomidate, previously classified under the Poisons Act, into the Misuse of Drugs Act as a Class C controlled drug for an initial 6-month period. Health minister Ong Ye Kung said the tougher laws were necessary as vapes had “become a gateway for very serious substance abuse,” turning into “delivery devices” for drugs.
The new rules, intended as an interim measure while the government drafts broader legislation to address drugs that could be delivered through vaping devices, allow authorities to impose prison terms of up to 20 years and corporal punishment of up to 15 strokes of the cane for suppliers and importers of Kpods.
Adults caught using drug-laced vapes now face a fine of S$700, while those under 18 are fined S$500, along with mandatory participation in a 6-month rehabilitation program. Repeat offenders risk fines of up to S$2,000 and prison sentences of up to 10 years.
While drug-laced vapes are covered by the Misuse of Drugs Act, regular nicotine vapes remain prohibited under the Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) Act, where penalties have also been tightened. Both adults and minors caught using such products now face the same fines as Kpod users, as well as mandatory rehabilitation for repeat offences.
Rehabilitation is central to the government’s strategy. For repeat offenders using ordinary vapes, this involves a 3-month program overseen by the Health Promotion Board or accredited service providers. Participants attend structured sessions on the health risks of vaping, nicotine dependence, and relapse prevention, with access to quit-support services such as counselling, nicotine replacement therapy, or prescription medication. Attendance is mandatory, and failure to comply can result in escalation to the courts.
The new rules also apply to tourists and foreigners working in Singapore. They face the same penalties as citizens, while foreign residents additionally risk losing their employment or residential permits, deportation, and bans on re-entry.
With its reclassification of etomidate as a drug, Singapore follows the path taken by Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Thailand, all of which have upgraded etomidate’s status from medicinal or poison classifications to controlled drug or narcotic categories since late last year.