1 in 3 vapes here laced with etomidate; MOH working with MHA to list it as illegal drug: Ong Ye Kung
Listing etomidate under the Misuse of Drugs Act means those who possess, abuse or sell vapes with etomidate may soon be treated the same way as those found with drugs like cannabis.
SINGAPORE - As an interim measure to tackle the vaping scourge in Singapore, the Health Ministry is working with the Ministry of Home Affairs to list etomidate - a drug used in vapes - under the Misuse of Drugs Act, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said on July 20.
He added that vapes seized by the authorities have shown that one in three vapes contain etomidate, a psychoactive substance that can cause hallucinations and organ damage.
Listing etomidate under the Misuse of Drugs Act means those who possess, abuse or sell vapes with etomidate may soon be treated the same way as those found with drugs like cannabis.
This will pave the way for harsher penalties for abusers, including mandatory rehabilitation, and jail time for repeat offenders. Etomidate's use is currently regulated under the Poisons Act, which carries lighter penalties for users.
Speaking on the sidelines of the grand opening of a dog run in Sembawang on July 20, Mr Ong said the Ministry of Health is working with the Ministry of Home Affairs to do this in the coming weeks.
The Health Sciences Authority will also be extending the hours for
its reporting hotline.
ST launched its anti-vaping campaign,
Vaping: The Invisible Crisis, on July 13.
Top stories
Swipe. Select. Stay informed.
Singapore HSA extends hotline hours, launches new platform to report vaping offences
Singapore Tampines regional centre set to get more homes, offices and public amenities
Multimedia How to make the most out of small homes in Singapore
Life US tech CEO Andy Byron resigns after viral Coldplay 'kiss cam' video
Asia From toy to threat: 'Killer kites' bring chaos to Indonesian airspace
Opinion I thought I was a 'chill' parent. Then came P1 registration
Singapore 'God and government are the only things beyond our control,' says Trip.com Group CEO
Mr Ong praised the initiative, saying it was a useful campaign to raise awareness.
When ST launched the campaign, Vaping: The Invisible Crisis, several Telegram channels selling vapes became significantly less active. The campaign aims to raise awareness of the vape scourge.
Of particular concern is the rise of etomidate-laced vapes, also known as Kpods.
Etomidate is a medicinal ingredient used in clinical practice as an anaesthetic agent and is classified as a poison under the Poisons Act.
It was designed to be injected directly into the veins under clinical supervision and was
never meant to be inhaled directly into the lungs.
When vaped, it can trigger spams, breathing difficulties, seizures and psychosis.
Kpods have reportedly been
pushed in Singapore by organised crime groups , with local authorities now intensifying crackdowns.
Public healthcare institutions have also been told to
record all Kpod cases .
Possessing, using or buying vapes carries a maximum fine of $2,000.
Anyone who distributes, imports or sells vapes and their components can be jailed for up to six months and fined up to $10,000.
Those found in possession of or using pods containing etomidate can be jailed for up to two years and fined up to $10,000.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Straits Times
28 minutes ago
- Straits Times
‘Please, something to eat': Cubans forced to beg in economic crisis
Find out what's new on ST website and app. There are no official numbers on poverty in Cuba, where the word 'poor' is not used in official communications. HAVANA - Mr William Abel peers inside a plastic bag he dug out of a trash can in Havana while scrounging for his next meal. It contains rice, vegetables, a meatless chicken bone and flies competing for the spoils. The 62-year-old has been sleeping on the streets since his house outside the capital collapsed two years ago – a frequent occurrence due to the dilapidation of many buildings, echoing an economy in ruins. 'Food is the hardest part. I've been rummaging through trash cans for two years to eat,' he tells AFP, his speech hindered by many missing teeth. Under a grimy T-shirt, Mr Abel's body is skeletal. He says he suffers from arthritis, hypertension, and a liver problem for which he has no medicine. He admits he used to drink 'quite a lot... You know, we're going through a tough time'. Mr Abel is one of a visibly growing number of beggars and homeless people in a country confronting its worst economic crisis in three decades. Earlier in July, Labour and Social Security Minister Marta Elena Feito resigned after causing an outcry with her statement that 'there are no beggars' in the communist state crippled by decades of US sanctions. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. World Trump was told he is in Epstein files, Wall Street Journal reports Opinion The US dollar is down, but it has a lot going for it Singapore Judge asks prosecution for more information on Kpods in first case involving etomidate-laced vapes Singapore Singapore Oceanarium will enhance tourism while supporting sustainability: Grace Fu Singapore 5 teens arrested for threatening boy with knife, 2 charged with causing hurt Singapore Over 1.15 million Singaporeans aged 21 to 59 have claimed SG60 vouchers Opinion Cinemas struggle in a world that cannot sit still Asia Japan PM Ishiba refutes reports of imminent resignation after surprise US trade deal Analysts also point to structural weaknesses in Cuba's centralised economy and the Covid-19 pandemic's blow to the tourism industry. Long a champion of egalitarian socialism but critically short on foreign currency, the Cuban state has not had enough money these last four years to keep up with spending on social programmes such as free healthcare and subsidised food. At the same time, food prices have skyrocketed nearly 500 per cent, throwing Cubans into precarity. There are no official numbers on poverty in Cuba, where the word 'poor' is not used in official communications, but rather terms such as 'vulnerable people'. Government data shows that 189,000 families and 350,000 individuals benefit from social aid programs on the island of 9.7 million inhabitants. A real problem Mr Juan De La Cruz, 63, told AFP he had been a beggar for two weeks. He sat on the street in a busy neighbourhood of central Havana with a piece of cardboard on which he had scribbled: 'Please, something to eat.' 'What social security gives me is not enough,' said Mr De La Cruz, who lost a leg to diabetes four years ago and receives an amount equivalent to less than US$3 (S$3.80) a month at the informal exchange rate. It is not enough to buy a kilo of chicken, he said, and the soup kitchen is little comfort. 'The food is bad, rice without butter, without oil.' At least he has a place to sleep, said the retired stretcher bearer, 'a very small room,' but 'empty, empty, empty'. President Miguel Diaz-Canel was forced to enter the fray over his minister's remarks, lambasting her 'lack of sensitivity' and telling parliament that beggars are 'concrete expressions of social inequalities' in Cuba. Prime Minister Manuel Marrero also acknowledged the country was facing 'a real problem'. In the absence of official data, experts have to rely on estimates. Sociologist Mayra Espina Prieto recently calculated that 'between 40 and 45 per cent' of Cubans live 'in poverty'. Unicef, the UN's children's agency, said in 2024 that nearly one in ten Cuban children lived in 'severe child food poverty,' which means they survive one or two food groups a day, sometimes less. A small room Mr Arnaldo Victores sleeps in a motorcycle garage, on plastic bags, in a peripheral neighbourhood of Havana. As he has no fixed address, the 65-year-old former physiotherapist cannot access social benefits in spite of his visual impairment. Every day, he travels to the city centre and begs on a busy street. His dream? Just 'a small room with a bathroom,' Mr Victores told AFP. Across the street from where he is forced to beseech strangers for alms there stands a brand-new state-owned hotel with 42 floors – the tallest in the capital and a symbol of unforgivable waste for many Cubans struggling to make ends meet. AFP

Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Ukraine, Russia launch drone strikes after latest round of peace talks
Find out what's new on ST website and app. Ukraine and Russia launched drone strikes against each other early on Thursday, officials from both sides said, within hours of the conclusion of the latest round of direct talks aimed at finding a solution after nearly three and half years of war. Ukrainian drones hit southern Russian Black Sea areas, killing one person, injuring another and hitting an oil storage depot. Russian forces staged the latest in a series of mass attacks on Ukraine's Black Sea port of Odesa, triggering several fires in residential and other buildings. Emergency officials in Russia's Krasnodar region on the Black Sea said on the Telegram messaging app that debris from a falling drone struck and killed a woman in Adler district near the resort city of Sochi. A second woman was being treated in hospital for serious injuries. The administrative head of the Sirius federal district, south of Sochi, said a drone hit an oil base, but gave no further details. Russia's Rosaviatsia aviation authority said operations were suspended at Sochi airport for about four hours. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. World Trump was told he is in Epstein files, Wall Street Journal reports Opinion The US dollar is down, but it has a lot going for it Singapore Judge asks prosecution for more information on Kpods in first case involving etomidate-laced vapes Singapore Singapore Oceanarium will enhance tourism while supporting sustainability: Grace Fu Singapore 5 teens arrested for threatening boy with knife, 2 charged with causing hurt Singapore Over 1.15 million Singaporeans aged 21 to 59 have claimed SG60 vouchers Opinion Cinemas struggle in a world that cannot sit still Asia Japan PM Ishiba refutes reports of imminent resignation after surprise US trade deal In Odesa, Regional Governor Oleh Kiper said two floors of a multi-storey apartment building had been set ablaze. Other fires broke out on the roof of a two-storey residence, in kiosks and at a petrol station. The city's historic centre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was also hit, he said. Kiper said details on casualties were being compiled. Reuters could not independently confirm accounts from either side. Negotiators from the two sides had earlier discussed further prisoner swaps at a brief session of peace talks in the Turkish city of Istanbul, but the sides remained far apart on ceasefire terms and a possible meeting of their leaders. Ukraine's military has frequently launched drone attacks on Russian targets often far from the war's front line, particularly on sites linked with energy. Russian forces have in recent weeks intensified drone attacks on Ukrainian towns and cities. REUTERS

Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Saudi business delegation arrives in Syria; deals worth $4 billion to $6 billion seen being signed
Find out what's new on ST website and app. FILE PHOTO: Minister of Investment of Saudi Arabia Khalid bin Abdulaziz Al-Falih gestures during the Future Investment Initiative (FII) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia October 29, 2024. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed/File Photo RIYADH - Saudi Arabia's investment minister led a business delegation travelling to Syria on Wednesday, where they were expected to sign deals worth $4 billion to $6 billion as part of Riyadh's efforts to support the country's post-war recovery. The Gulf kingdom has been a crucial supporter of interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa's government, which came to power after toppling longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December and is now seeking to rebuild Syria after a 14-year civil war. Saudi Investment Minister Khalid bin Abdulaziz Al-Falih, who brought around 130 Saudi businesspeople to Damascus, is set to hold meetings with Syria's leadership ahead of a two-day investment conference opening on Wednesday, according to people due to attend. Syrian Information Minister Hamza al-Moustafa said at a press conference on Wednesday that Syria will sign 44 agreements with Saudi Arabia estimated to be worth nearly $6 billion. The agreements cover various sectors, including energy, telecommunications, financial and banking, investment funds and others, the minister said. Some of the agreements will be signed between the government and private companies, he said. Saudi state-run Al Ekhbariya television reported on Tuesday that the agreements to be signed between Damascus and Riyadh would be worth over $4 billion. During his visit to Syria, Saudi Arabia's Al-Falih and his Syrian counterpart launched a cement factory project on Wednesday in Adra Industrial City in the Damascus countryside, the first white cement production project in the country, with an investment worth $20 million, Syrian state news agency SANA said. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. World Trump was told he is in Epstein files, Wall Street Journal reports Opinion The US dollar is down, but it has a lot going for it Singapore Judge asks prosecution for more information on Kpods in first case involving etomidate-laced vapes Singapore Singapore Oceanarium will enhance tourism while supporting sustainability: Grace Fu Singapore 5 teens arrested for threatening boy with knife, 2 charged with causing hurt Singapore Over 1.15 million Singaporeans aged 21 to 59 have claimed SG60 vouchers Opinion Cinemas struggle in a world that cannot sit still Asia Japan PM Ishiba refutes reports of imminent resignation after surprise US trade deal Al-Falih also broke ground on an integrated retail project by Saudi investment firm Ethraa Holding that is worth 375 million riyals ($99.96 million) in investments. Saudi Arabia has shown interest in Syria's energy and hospitality sectors, as well as airports, a diplomat and a Syrian businessman familiar with the matter told Reuters. The two countries are also expected to launch a joint business council, said the Syrian businessman. The investment conference had initially been scheduled to take place in June, but was delayed due to the war between Iran and Israel. It is going ahead this week despite sectarian clashes in Syria's southern city of Sweida that have left hundreds dead. The violence is a reminder of the lingering instability in Syria, even as foreign investors explore opportunities. Companies, many from Gulf states and Turkey, have expressed interest in rebuilding Syria's power generation capacity, roads, ports and other damaged infrastructure. Syria has signed a $7 billion power deal with Qatar and an $800 million agreement with UAE-based port company DP World in recent months. U.S. energy firms are also set to draw up a master plan for the country's energy sector. For its part, Saudi Arabia, along with Qatar, paid off Syria's World Bank arrears, opening the possibility of new lending. Syria's al-Sharaa made his first trip abroad as president, to Saudi Arabia in February. And the kingdom's Crown Prince and de-facto ruler Mohammed Bin Salman successfully lobbied U.S. President Donald Trump to lift sanctions seen as holding back private investment. REUTERS