Forum: Show the young they're not alone as they battle vaping
Vapes are now being laced with substances such as etomidate, further endangering the health of our youth and leading them towards a lifetime of addiction.
As an organisation that strives to uplift youth, Allkin Singapore echoes these concerns. Through our work, we have seen how youth have adopted a permissive attitude towards vaping, as they often use it as a coping mechanism to manage negative emotions such as stress and boredom.
We have encountered youth with no history of smoking who began vaping and are now at risk of substance addiction. However, as the ST articles rightly noted, enforcement alone is not enough.
While it is critical to deter illegal distribution and use, we must also ask: What drives a young person to pick up a vape in the first place? And more importantly, who is walking alongside them as they try to put it down?
Many avoid seeking help from their schools, for fear of being punished or charged. That's why supportive, non-judgmental interventions are key. From our experiences working with youth on smoking cessation, we found that engaging in group-based activities and one-to-one counselling were effective in enabling them to manage their behaviours.
Our approach is rooted in the belief that young people don't just need to be stopped; they also need to be supported. They need safe spaces to talk about what they are going through – about stress, anxiety and identity. They need adults who will listen without judgment and offer empathy and guidance.
Top stories
Swipe. Select. Stay informed.
World Trump says US will charge 19% tariff on goods from Philippines, down from 20%
Singapore Two found dead after fire in Toa Payoh flat
Singapore Singaporeans continue to hold world's most powerful passport in latest ranking
Singapore Singaporeans aged 21 to 59 can claim $600 SG60 vouchers from July 22
Singapore Singapore, Vietnam agree to step up defence ties, dialogue between leaders
Life Ozzy Osbourne, Black Sabbath's bat-biting frontman turned reality TV star, dies aged 76
Asia Malaysia govt's reform pledge tested as DAP chief bows over unresolved 2009 death of political aide
Singapore Ports and planes: The 2 Singapore firms helping to keep the world moving
As a society, we must respond to the vaping crisis not only with punitive measures but also with compassion, upstream prevention and community-based interventions. Helping youth take that first brave step away from vaping begins with showing them that they are not alone.
Moagana Rani Head of Youth Service Allkin Singapore
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
3 hours ago
- Straits Times
WHO says malnutrition reaching 'alarming levels' in Gaza
Find out what's new on ST website and app. Nearly one in five children under five in Gaza City is now acutely malnourished. GENEVA - Malnutrition rates are reaching 'alarming levels' in the Gaza Strip, the World Health Organization warned Sunday, saying the 'deliberate blocking' of aid was entirely preventable and had cost many lives. 'Malnutrition is on a dangerous trajectory in the Gaza Strip, marked by a spike in deaths in July,' the WHO said in a statement. Of the 74 recorded malnutrition-related deaths in 2025, 63 had occurred in July – including 24 children under five, one child aged over five, and 38 adults, it added. 'Most of these people were declared dead on arrival at health facilities or died shortly after, their bodies showing clear signs of severe wasting,' the UN health agency said. 'The crisis remains entirely preventable. Deliberate blocking and delay of large-scale food, health, and humanitarian aid has cost many lives.' Nearly one in five children under five in Gaza City is now acutely malnourished, the WHO said, citing its Nutrition Cluster partners. It said the percentage of children aged six to 59 months suffering from acute malnutrition had tripled in the city since June, making it the worst-hit area in the Palestinian territory. In Khan Yunis and middle Gaza, those rates have doubled in less than a month, it added. 'These figures are likely an underestimation due to the severe access and security constraints preventing many families from reaching health facilities,' the WHO said. Israel on Sunday began a limited 'tactical pause' in military operations to allow the UN and aid agencies to tackle a deepening hunger crisis. But the WHO called for sustained efforts to 'flood' the Gaza Strip with diverse, nutritious food, and for the expedited delivery of therapeutic supplies for children and vulnerable groups, plus essential medicines and supplies. 'This flow must remain consistent and unhindered to support recovery and prevent further deterioration', the Geneva-based agency said. AFP
Straits Times
11 hours ago
- Straits Times
Iraqi women table tennis players chase Paralympic dreams
Find out what's new on ST website and app. Disabled Iraqi table tennis player Nur al-Huda Sarmad uses a net to pick up balls during a training session at a community centre in the southern city of Diwaniyah on July 8, 2025. A group of Iraqi women who live with disabilities train three time a week, preparing for an upcoming tournament that could qualify them for the national Paralympic team. Diwaniyah – Iraqi table tennis player Nur al-Huda Sarmad adjusts her wheelchair before striking the ball into play, braving sweltering heat, social stigma and inadequate facilities as she dreams of taking her team to the Paralympics. Sarmad and seven other Iraqi women who live with disabilities train three times a week at a community centre in the southern city of Diwaniyah, preparing for an upcoming tournament that could qualify them for the national Paralympic team. The facilities, however, are far from Olympic-standard. 'The tennis tables are broken, there are power outages and we even have to buy our own paddles,' said Sarmad, 25. With no dedicated training facility, the team often has to share the three second-hand tables at the public community centre with visitors. In the scorching Iraqi summer, they cannot turn on the fans, which would disrupt the movement of the balls. And the air conditioner that could provide some relief remains off-limits in a country grappling with chronic power cuts, especially in summer when temperatures approach 50 deg C. The community centre is powered by a generator, but it can barely sustain the essentials. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Car that fell into Tanjong Katong Road South sinkhole removed; road remains closed for repairs Singapore Workers used nylon rope to rescue driver of car that fell into Tanjong Katong Road sinkhole Life Vet Talk: Pet owners and vets need to work together to prevent infectious zoonotic diseases Singapore Benchmark barrier: Six of her homeschooled kids had to retake the PSLE Singapore For Singapore to do well, PAP govt has to continue to hold its own: SM Lee Asia S'porean trainee doctor in Melbourne arrested for allegedly filming colleagues in toilets since 2021 Singapore Mum at 15: More teens in Singapore gave birth in 2024 Business Already owning 5 properties, woman wanted elderly dad's 4 homes These practical issues 'affect our training' and hinder the players' progress, Sarmad said. The team also faces obstacles in the form of insufficient government funding for sports, and conservative views on women's rights and people with disabilities. Paralympic champion Najlah Imad, the first Iraqi to snare a gold medal in table tennis, told AFP that 'despite the difficult circumstances, nothing is impossible'. Imad, who now relies on sponsorship deals, encouraged her fellow players to keep fighting. 'You can do anything,' she said. Sarmad, who has already won several medals, including bronze in a tournament in Thailand, takes pride in the fact that despite the many challenges, 'we overcame all this, we became players'. The state-owned community centre provides the team a stipend equivalent to US$75 (S$96) a month to cover transportation costs, but the players had to purchase their professional paddles, at a cost of US$200, out of their own pockets. The players often have to rely on taxis to travel to training sessions and back, but 'sometimes cabs refuse to take disabled people', said Sarmad. Coach Mohammed Riyad, 43, said that table tennis 'has developed in Diwaniyah solely through personal efforts... due to the lack of support from the state'. Riyad, a member of the Iraqi Paralympic Committee, said that funding sports was not a priority in a country where decades of conflicts, neglect and endemic corruption have devastated infrastructure. Through the Paralympic Committee, he has managed to acquire old equipment for Sarmad and her fellow players. He said that 'the state only focuses on football, despite the achievements of table tennis players' like Imad, who brought home the Paralympic gold from the 2024 Paris Games. Iraq has a long tradition of women's sports, with teams competing in regional football, weightlifting and boxing tournaments. But there is also vocal opposition seeking to exclude women and bar mixed-gender events. In southern Iraq, a largely conservative area where Sarmad's team is based, organisers of a marathon in 2024 had made it a men-only event after a social media controversy over women's participation in sports. Iraqis living with disabilities often face additional challenges amid a general lack of awareness about their rights and inclusion. For award-winning table tennis player Iman Hamza, 24, society mistakenly sees women with disabilities like her 'as helpless people who cannot do anything'. 'But we became world champions.' AFP
Straits Times
15 hours ago
- Straits Times
S'porean trainee doctor in Melbourne arrested for allegedly filming colleagues in toilets since 2021
Find out what's new on ST website and app. Victims were allegedly recorded in the staff toilets of the Austin Hospital's emergency department. A Singaporean trainee doctor in Melbourne has been arrested for allegedly filming colleagues in hospital toilets since 2021, with more than 10,000 photos and videos found in devices seized by the police. The 27-year-old was identified as Ryan Cho, who was employed at Austin Hospital at the time, reported Australian newspaper ABC News . Other reports place his age at 28 . His medical registration has been suspended by Australian authorities. Citing court documents, Melbourne newspaper The Age reported that on June 25 a staff member at the hospital raised concerns about a man loitering in the emergency department's staff toilets. There were already ongoing investigations in the hospital at the time related to toilet blockages and damage. T he police now allege that this was done to force potential victims into cubicles set up with recording devices, reported The Age. ABC News reported that Cho was seen by hospital staff at the emergency department outside his rostered hours on several occasions. On July 3, a nurse found a mesh bag with a mobile phone in a staff toilet and believed it to be recording, reporting it to hospital management. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Tanjong Katong Road South closed for repairs after car fell into sinkhole Asia Trump says Thailand and Cambodia agree to hold immediate ceasefire talks Singapore Mum at 15: More teens in Singapore gave birth in 2024 Singapore HSA will not trace vape users who throw away e-vaporisers in disposal bins at 23 CCs World Israel resumes airdrop aid to Gaza, military says World Turkey marks 50.5 deg C heat record in south-east Business Already owning 5 properties, woman wanted elderly dad's 4 homes Opinion Metallurgy degree for IT job in Singapore? Why not, says Tata Consultancy's growth markets chief The same bag was found several days later by hospital security, leading to the police being called. Cho was arrested, with police seizing two mobile phones, a laptop and a hard drive. Several white mesh bags and removable hooks were seized, alleged by police to be similar to the one found earlier. A search of the hospital revealed similar hooks on other levels , including in patient toilets, that were not installed by management. 'Calculated and obsessed' According to New Zealand newspaper 1news , Cho was first arrested on July 10. He was initially charged with offences including stalking, and released on bail. The police analysed the devices – which Cho allegedly refused to give them the passwords to – and reportedly found more than 10,000 videos and images. The media showed the genital regions of victims using shower or toilet facilities, and were recorded from 2021 to 2025 . Many of them were reportedly of female doctors, nurses, paramedics and other hospital staff. They were allegedly categorised into different folders referencing the Austin Hospital, the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and The Royal Melbourne Hospital , sorted according to the names of alleged victims. Court documents stated that the media were separated by 'ranking' , with some being 'Tier 1' and others 'Tier 2'. There were other files found that were allegedly created outside healthcare settings , including homes. Cho was arrested again on July 25. He was refused ba il, and will be remanded until his next court date on Aug 29 . Senior Constable Narelle Baker told the court that Cho 'devoted an enormous amount of time keeping his colleagues under surveillance, tampering with toilets to draw his victims into (cubicles) where devices were set up', describing him as 'calculated and obsessed'. The police are contacting the other hospitals and potential victims during the time of Cho's employment. 'This has been an incredibly distressing situation for our staff, and their safety and well-being is our absolute priority,' said Austin Health chief executive Jodie Geissler . 'Right now, our focus is on caring for our staff. We have comprehensive support services in place and are doing everything we can to help them through this challenging time.' The Straits Times has contacted the Ministry Of Foreign Affairs for more information.
