Singapore's government is dramatically escalating its war on vaping, with Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announcing that e-cigarette offenses will now be treated as a "drug issue," carrying significantly harsher penalties including potential jail time. This major policy shift, announced during the National Day Rally on August 17, 2025, aims to combat the rising trend of youth vaping and the alarming infiltration of harmful substances like the potent sedative etomidate into vape products.
While Singapore has banned the possession, use, and sale of vapes since 2018, with fines already reaching up to S$2,000 for possession alone, the new measures elevate the consequences. Jail sentences will now specifically target sellers of adulterated vapes containing dangerous chemicals, aligning these offenses with penalties under the Misuse of Drugs Act. This follows reports of 28 cases involving contaminated vape products in the first half of 2025 alone, prompting enhanced detection efforts by the Health Sciences Authority (HSA).
The government's strategy is multifaceted, combining severe punishment with rehabilitation for addicts and a massive public education campaign targeting schools and national service programs. This approach positions Singapore's vaping regulations among the strictest globally, setting a new benchmark by explicitly linking vaping offenses to narcotics laws and introducing imprisonment as a potential penalty. The crackdown is expected to ramp up through joint operations between police and the HSA, signaling a fortified barrier against the vape trade in the nation.
