MHA seconding staff to HSA to help deal with etomidate abusers: Shanmugam

CNA

4 days ago

SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) will second officers to the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) as part of Singapore's campaign against etomidate-laced vapes, Coordinating Minister for National Security K Shanmugam said on Wednesday (Jul 30).
HSA is a statutory board under the Ministry of Health, which has been handling and studying the etomidate situation as well as deciding what actions to take moving forward, he told reporters.
'I have asked the Ministry of Home Affairs to support MOH and help them,' said Mr Shanmugam, who is also home affairs minister, adding that MHA personnel will assist with the supervision, treatment and rehabilitation of etomidate abusers.
Health Minister Ong Ye Kung had announced earlier this month that Singapore was working to list etomidate, an anaesthetic that has been found in vapes, as illegal.
Listing it as a Class C drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act will allow for tougher enforcement measures against abusers, said Mr Shanmugam on Wednesday.
"Abusers will no longer just be subject to fine. They can be subject to mandatory supervision and rehabilitation regimes. Those who import, sell, distribute etomidate-laced vapes can expect much stiffer penalties than today."
This is however an interim measure, he said, and the health ministry is 'looking at what new legislation is possible to deal with etomidate and other similar substances'.
STARTING YOUNGER
Mr Shanmugam called reported cases of etomidate abusers 'distressing'.
'They lose control of themselves, they put themselves in dangerous positions, they become vulnerable, they become zombies,' he said.
He noted that many are young people with bright futures ahead of them, who risk throwing it all away by abusing the substance.
In response to a CNA question on whether this younger demographic of users would mean different enforcement and educational efforts compared to those for harder drugs, Mr Shanmugam noted that Singapore's public education on substance abuse starts from a very young age anyway.
'We have to do it in the schools. We have to do it with the parents. It's similar, just that for vapes, the children are starting younger,' he said.
Mr Shanmugam said this would be discussed with MOH, which will then decide how to bring the message across to young children.
He pointed to parallels between etomidate and harder drugs, citing media reports on the harms caused to etomidate abusers.
'For drugs, the consequences, if we take a light approach, will be multiplied several folds compared with what you are seeing with etomidate.'
He said that as long as Singaporeans support the government's policies, it will continue to take a tough line on drugs, including the imposition of a death penalty for traffickers.
'That tough line saves more lives, keeps our streets free of drugs, and parents can bring up their children with peace of mind,' said Mr Shanmugam.
"We believe this is the right thing to do ... we do what we honestly believe to be in Singaporeans' interest."
COMMUNITY RESPONSE
On Wednesday, Mr Shanmugam also attended the launch of MHA's new SGSecure web series called What Would You Do When Terror Strikes. The three-episode show aims to educate viewers on how to respond to an incident, and to also reinforce the importance of community vigilance.
The SGSecure movement was introduced in 2016 to sensitise, train and mobilise Singaporeans to play a part in preventing and dealing with a terrorist attack.
The initiative comes on the back of MHA carrying out two social experiments in June to measure Singaporeans' alertness towards terrorism.
The first involved a dummy improvised explosive device (IED) hidden in luggage at Our Tampines Hub, while the second involved a car loaded with empty gas cylinders at a carpark beside Bishan Community Club.
'In our experiment, it showed that 17 per cent of passers-by noticed suspicious items, and out of that 17 per cent, only 5 per cent either intended to inform the authorities, or took actual action to inform the authorities,' said Ms Sim Ann, senior minister of state for home affairs and foreign affairs.
'So, this shows that we still have some way to go in raising the public's alertness and awareness, and their readiness to combat terrorism.'