Forum: Treat youth nicotine cessation support as a continuous process
The Health Promotion Board's (HPB) pilot counselling programme for secondary school students who vape or smoke is a welcome move (
HPB looking for vaping, smoking counselling services for up to 175 secondary school students , July 29).
While the programme's structure is a good start, I hope it will not be treated as a one-off intervention. The current plan is for four counselling sessions and two brief follow-ups.
But quitting nicotine addiction is rarely so straightforward.
Each student's needs differ. Some may require continued guidance and support beyond the initial six sessions to prevent relapse and cope with peer pressure or stress. There should be flexibility to extend the support when necessary, rather than a fixed end point. Schools and counsellors should be encouraged to recommend longer-term follow-up for those who need it.
This programme can be a vital stepping stone towards helping young people become smoke- and vape-free adults. With stronger early intervention, Singapore can also gradually move away from the expectation of a 'smoke break' – a norm still observed in workplaces and even in national service. Future NS enlistees, having kicked the habit in school, should be supported to stay nicotine-free throughout their service and beyond.
HPB's multi-pronged approach, which includes public education and enforcement, is commendable. But to make a lasting impact, Singapore must treat youth cessation support as a continuous and adaptable process – not just a short-term fix.
Gabriel Chia
Top stories
Swipe. Select. Stay informed.
Singapore Water supply issues during Toa Payoh blaze affected firefighting operations; SCDF investigating
Singapore 3 taken to hospital after fire in Marsiling flat
Singapore School, parents on alert after vape peddlers approach primary school pupil
Singapore Tampines, Toa Payoh BTO flats most popular among first-time home buyers in July HDB launch
Sport Leon Marchand sets first world record at World Aquatics C'ships in Singapore
Singapore Jail, fine for man linked to case involving 3 bank accounts that received over $680m in total
Singapore Provision shop owner who raped 11-year-old gets more than 14 years' jail
Singapore Escape, discover, connect: Where new memories are made
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
30 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Wrestling legend Hulk Hogan suffered from leukaemia in secret before his death
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox US pro-wrestler Hulk Hogan died at the age of 71 on July 24. American wrestling legend Hulk Hogan was battling leukaemia in private before his death, according to the American media. The former World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) superstar, whose real name was Terry Bollea, died at age 71 on July 24. Quoting from the Pinellas County Forensic Science Centre in Florida, American celebrity news website Page Six reported on July 31 that Hogan had a history of leukaemia, a type of cancer that affects the blood and bone marrow. The WWE Hall of Famer's battle with the condition was believed not to be publicly known . Page Six said the official cause of Hogan's death was acute myocardial infarction, or a heart attack. The website also quoted a document from the forensic science centre stating that Hogan had a history of atrial fibrillation, a heart condition that causes an irregular and often abnormally fast heart rate. Hogan's manner of death was ruled as natural, according to the medical examiner, which provided the latest updates in a cremation approval report. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Tech Reporting suspected advanced cyber attacks will provide a defence framework: Shanmugam Singapore Tanjong Katong sinkhole: Affected road will open progressively to motorists from noon on Aug 2 Business Singapore's US tariff rate stays at 10%, but the Republic is not out of the woods yet World As China-US tariff truce talks drag on, what are prospects for a 'big deal' for Trump? Singapore Thundery showers expected on most days in first half of August Singapore Synapxe chief executive, MND deputy secretary to become new perm secs on Sept 1 Singapore 5 women face capital charges after they were allegedly found with nearly 27kg of cocaine in S'pore Business Sumo Salad had valid insurance coverage for work injury claims: MOM The Clearwater Police Department in Florida said in a July 24 post on Facebook that it responded to a medical call for a cardiac arrest at Hogan's home that day. He was treated by the rescue crew before being taken to hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Rumours of Hogan's poor health had been circulating since June, after American radio personality Bubba The Love Sponge said during a live stream that the wrestler was 'in the hospital' and 'might not make it'. Hogan's representative told American entertainment news portal E! News then the wrestler 'had problems with his back' for years and that he had undergone successful neck surgery. Hogan is survived by his third wife Sky Daily; daughter Brooke, 37; son Nick, 35, both whom he shared with his first wife Linda Claridge; as well as two grandchildren.
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Jail for woman linked to ruse involving iPhones bought with bank card details belonging to others
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Yong Huo Ying, 25, was ordered to spend a year, five months and two weeks behind bars. SINGAPORE - A Malaysian woman who helped to sell iPhones that were bought using bank card details belonging to others was given a jail sentence on Aug 1. Yong Huo Ying, 25, was ordered to spend a year, five months and two weeks behind bars after she pleaded guilty to multiple charges including four counts of cheating. Deputy Public Prosecutor Lewis Tan told the court that unknown individuals in a syndicate had recruited Yong and her accomplice, Quek Jian Qing, 21, who is also a Malaysian, in November 2024. The pair were told to travel to Singapore and buy multiple iPhones by using the 'Apple Pay' application installed on a mobile phone that would be provided to them. The application would show a virtual credit or debit card which could be used to make contactless payments. These card details belonged to other individuals. Court documents did not disclose how the syndicate got hold of such information. After buying the iPhones, Quek and Yong were tasked to sell the devices in Singapore. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Tech Reporting suspected advanced cyber attacks will provide a defence framework: Shanmugam Singapore Tanjong Katong sinkhole: Road will progressively open to motorists from Aug 2 noon World Trump modifies reciprocal tariffs ahead of deadline; rate on Singapore remains at 10% Business Singapore's US tariff rate stays at 10%, but the Republic is not out of the woods yet Singapore Thundery showers expected on most days in first half of August Singapore Synapxe chief executive, MND deputy secretary to become new perm secs from Sept 1 Singapore 5 women face capital charges after they were allegedly found with nearly 27kg of cocaine in S'pore Business Sumo Salad had valid insurance coverage for work injury claims: MOM They then had to hand over the proceeds to a syndicate member, known only as 'MK', in Malaysia. Quek and Yong were each promised up to RM3,000 (S$910) for their roles in the ruse. Quek was in Malaysia on Nov 7, 2024 when MK handed him a Samsung mobile phone that had 'Apple Pay' pre-installed. Quek and Yong met up in Malaysia the next day, and they took Quek's car to Singapore via the Woodlands Checkpoint. The DPP said: 'Quek's primary role was to purchase the iPhones using the 'Apple Pay' application... while Yong's primary role was to sell the iPhones purchased by Quek.' Later that day, Quek bought an iPhone worth $1,899 at an Apple store at Marina Bay Sands and used the app to pay for it. A 39-year-old Singaporean woman's credit card details were linked to the platform, and he made the purchase without the victim's consent. The woman, identified in court documents as A1, received an SMS alert from her bank about the transaction, and she lodged a police report soon after. Using the credit card details of other victims in the 'Apple Pay' app, Quek went to other places that same day, including an Apple store in Orchard Road, and bought six more iPhones. The seven iPhones were worth more than $13,000 in total. Yong later sold two of the iPhones at a shop in Marine Parade, while Quek sold five of them. Together, they sold the seven iPhones for $1,520 each and conspired to transfer some of the sale proceeds totalling $3,040 to a Singapore bank account provided by the syndicate. The DPP told the court: 'But for the prompt intervention of the local enforcement authorities who arrested Quek and Yong as they attempted to leave Singapore for Malaysia on the same night, (the pair) would have been able to leave Singapore with the remaining proceeds – $7,600 in cash.' On Aug 1, the prosecutor urged the court to sentence Yong to at least a year, five months and two weeks' jail. He said that Yong did not buy or attempt to buy any iPhones. The syndicate also did not provide her with any devices to make such purchases, the court heard. Quek was sentenced to three years and 10 days' jail in May.
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
From Normal (Technical) to PhD: Computer engineering professor among 167 MOE scholarship recipients
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Assistant Professor Ernest Tan was among 21 recipients of the Singapore Teaching and Academic Research Talent Scheme Awards. SINGAPORE - Computer games like MapleStory and Counter-Strike first sparked 16-year-old Ernest Tan's curiosity about how computers communicated with each other. This fascination drove him to persevere through a longer education path as a Normal Technical student. 'Academically, I was quite weak. Ironically, my weakest subject was mathematics,' the now 37-year-old Assistant Professor at Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) said. But he enjoyed what he was studying, he said. 'I just wanted to do the best that I could.' Nearly two decades later, he is now a lecturer in SIT's Infocomm Technology cluster, working on research and teaching undergraduates. Asst Prof Tan, who earlier completed his doctorate in Computer Engineering at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in 2020 , said he was not discouraged by the longer journey. 'It's purely passion,' he said. 'If I have to go a longer route to have my education, I'll just have to take it as part of the journey.' Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Tech Reporting suspected advanced cyber attacks will provide a defence framework: Shanmugam Singapore Tanjong Katong sinkhole: Affected road will open progressively to motorists from noon on Aug 2 World Trump modifies reciprocal tariffs ahead of deadline; rate on Singapore remains at 10% Business Singapore's US tariff rate stays at 10%, but the Republic is not out of the woods yet Singapore Thundery showers expected on most days in first half of August Singapore Synapxe chief executive, MND deputy secretary to become new perm secs on Sept 1 Singapore 5 women face capital charges after they were allegedly found with nearly 27kg of cocaine in S'pore Business Sumo Salad had valid insurance coverage for work injury claims: MOM After completing his N Levels at Ang Mo Kio Secondary School in 2004, he pursued a Nitec Communications Technology course at the Institute of Technical Education. He then studied engineering at Singapore Polytechnic and later at NTU . 'Even when I first started university as an undergraduate, I had no idea if I could graduate,' he said. Asst Prof Tan was among 21 recipients of the Singapore Teaching and Academic Research Talent Scheme Awards, which support Singaporeans pursuing academic careers at local universities. The award, given by the Ministry of Education, will fund recipients' undergraduate or postgraduate studies at local or overseas institutions before they return to pursue their academic or research careers in Singapore. He was awarded alongside 146 students who received on August 1 the MOE Teaching Scholarships and MOE Teaching Award, given to those who have passion for education and teaching. Recipients of these scholarships and awards will be sponsored for their undergraduate tuition fees and receive a monthly allowance. They will also be given opportunities to develop themselves and hone their leadership skills. All 167 recipients were recognised at MOE's scholarship ceremony held at Sands Expo & Convention Centre - the first time all awardees were brought together under one event. Previously, the ceremonies were held separately. In a speech at the event, Education Minister Desmond Lee encouraged recipients to explore different experiences, keep learning, and work with others who have fresh perspectives. Singapore must 'innovate from within' to meet learners' needs, he said, citing initiatives like full subject-based banding to allow students to learn at their own pace and aptitude-based admissions to the universities. 'Seek out paths less explored, talk to people very different from yourselves, and try things you may not naturally be inclined to,' Mr Lee said. 'This will let you better understand our learners' diverse life experiences and starting points, and help realise their potential.' Educators also need to develop their professional capabilities too, so Singapore's education system can respond to changes like artificial intelligence , said Mr Lee. 'MOE will actively support and invest in you throughout your career,' he said, adding that teachers will receive training in foundational skills and mentorship . University academics will get to engage with the public sector and other academic figures on public policy issues, to better understand Singapore's challenges and opportunities. Education Minister Desmond Lee (front row, right) at MOE's scholarship ceremony on Aug 1. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG Mr Lee said there i s also value in working with partners and other professionals. 'They can present novel perspectives to our learners, expose them to the world outside the classroom, and even guide them to think about their future aspirations,' he said. On being granted his award, Asst Prof Tan credited his mentors and time at A*Star, where he met brilliant minds from academia, industry, and government. Now at SIT, his research focuses on developing smaller, faster AI models that run closer to users rather than relying on slower cloud systems. He aims to build smart, efficient algorithms for use in industries like manufacturing, transport, and healthcare. 'I hope to also use this opportunity to marry my research with teaching, because this area is rapidly evolving,' he said. To encourage students on a similar path, Asst Prof Tan said they should start by identifying what they do not want to do, before they can discover their real interests. 'Everybody's journey is different,' he said, adding that his focus throughout was simply to do the best he could. 'I really had no idea how far I can push myself.'
