'All become like zombie': Kpod users go viral in separate incidents
Bad enough for Prime Minister Lawrence Wong to announce at the National Day Rally on Aug 17 that vaping will be treated as a drug issue and soon draw much stiffer penalties.
In the past week alone, four alarming videos of Kpod users spotted in public places have gone viral.
Teen collapses at Serangoon MRT
An Instagram video by sgfollowsall.backup shows a teenager flat on his back at the end of a travelator in a crowded Serangoon MRT station, before two women come to his aid.
A TikTok video shared by 8World on Aug 13 also shows what happened before he collapsed: the boy clings on to the railing of the travelator before he crashes across the path of the commuters behind him.
"Why these kids can get KPOP (sic) so easily? Who is the supplier?" commented Ah Poh.
Bedok man thinks wallet is a shoe
While it is impossible to verify if this man was indeed using a Kpod, his movements and behaviour bear all the hallmarks.
In a TikTok video shared on Aug 17 by jordytanry, the man is seen struggling to keep his balance, holding on to a lamppost for support as he tries to put on his shoe - except it isn't a shoe, but a wallet.
He eventually loses his balance and lands on his posterior, then remains seated on the grass verge and fumbles with his wallet.
"I'm getting sick and tired and scared of all these zombie pod videos in SG nowadays. How the hell did the Kpod problem get so bad so fast?" Redditor Immediate-Analyst974 commented on the video, which was reportedly taken in Bedok.
Bugis man forgets how to walk
Taken in the Bugis area on Aug 17, this Instagram video by sgfollowsall shows a man on all fours trying to get to his feet.
He succeeds in raising his rear end, but that's as far as he gets - his hands, one of which is holding a vape, remain on the ground as they seem unable to lift his upper body.
"SAD," said azizah.aman on Instagram.
"All become like Zombie," said zulkifle_mohamat_1712.
Youngster in oblivion
Taken on Monday, this video shared on Reddit of a youngster wearing a Bukit Panjang Government High School T-shirt shows him vaping openly in the MRT.
With his mouth still awkwardly agape, he closes his eyes and leans back, oblivious to his surroundings.
"This is insane lol. Why would they even think it's a good idea to be outside when this far gone.. sad to see the younglings getting hooked," said Redditor Flarenova89.
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New Paper
8 hours ago
- New Paper
'All become like zombie': Kpod users go viral in separate incidents
Just how bad is the Kpod scourge? Bad enough for Prime Minister Lawrence Wong to announce at the National Day Rally on Aug 17 that vaping will be treated as a drug issue and soon draw much stiffer penalties. In the past week alone, four alarming videos of Kpod users spotted in public places have gone viral. Teen collapses at Serangoon MRT An Instagram video by shows a teenager flat on his back at the end of a travelator in a crowded Serangoon MRT station, before two women come to his aid. A TikTok video shared by 8World on Aug 13 also shows what happened before he collapsed: the boy clings on to the railing of the travelator before he crashes across the path of the commuters behind him. "Why these kids can get KPOP (sic) so easily? Who is the supplier?" commented Ah Poh. Bedok man thinks wallet is a shoe While it is impossible to verify if this man was indeed using a Kpod, his movements and behaviour bear all the hallmarks. In a TikTok video shared on Aug 17 by jordytanry, the man is seen struggling to keep his balance, holding on to a lamppost for support as he tries to put on his shoe - except it isn't a shoe, but a wallet. He eventually loses his balance and lands on his posterior, then remains seated on the grass verge and fumbles with his wallet. "I'm getting sick and tired and scared of all these zombie pod videos in SG nowadays. How the hell did the Kpod problem get so bad so fast?" Redditor Immediate-Analyst974 commented on the video, which was reportedly taken in Bedok. Bugis man forgets how to walk Taken in the Bugis area on Aug 17, this Instagram video by sgfollowsall shows a man on all fours trying to get to his feet. He succeeds in raising his rear end, but that's as far as he gets - his hands, one of which is holding a vape, remain on the ground as they seem unable to lift his upper body. "SAD," said on Instagram. "All become like Zombie," said zulkifle_mohamat_1712. Youngster in oblivion Taken on Monday, this video shared on Reddit of a youngster wearing a Bukit Panjang Government High School T-shirt shows him vaping openly in the MRT. With his mouth still awkwardly agape, he closes his eyes and leans back, oblivious to his surroundings. "This is insane lol. Why would they even think it's a good idea to be outside when this far gone.. sad to see the younglings getting hooked," said Redditor Flarenova89.
Straits Times
10 hours ago
- Straits Times
18 persons nabbed and 82 vapes seized in HSA ops in Raffles Place and Haji Lane
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox The two-day sting, which started on Aug 19, saw 18 persons between the ages of 24 and 48 nabbed for vape-related offences. SINGAPORE – The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) has seized 82 e-vaporisers, including 62 heatsticks, in anti-vaping operations conducted at Raffles Place and Haji Lane. The two-day sting, which started on Aug 19, saw 18 persons between the ages of 24 and 48 nabbed for vape-related offences. Those caught vaping will face a maximum fine of $2,000. The sting is the latest in Singapore as the authorities turn up the pressure on vapers. Despite being banned since 2018, the number of vapes seized and those caught vaping has continued to rise. Some of the vapes seized in the two-day sting. PHOTO: HSA Numbers compiled by The Straits Times showed HSA had seized $41 million worth of vapes and their components from January 2024 to March 2025, which is nearly fivefold the reported value seized from 2019 to end-2023. More than 17,900 persons were caught for the possession and use of e-vaporisers from January 2024 to March 2025. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Judge finds SBS Transit '100% responsible' in lawsuit filed by woman who was trapped in train doors Singapore COE premiums up in all categories except motorcycles; Cat A price climbs 2.5% to $104,524 Singapore Grab users in Singapore shocked by fares of over $1,000 due to display glitch Singapore No throttling for MyRepublic broadband users after sale to StarHub Singapore Emergency broadcast system to alert S'pore public to disasters via their mobile phones: Edwin Tong Life S'pore bands mark milestones with gigs: Silver Strings at 60, Mel & Joe at 55 and Lovehunters at 40 Singapore Singapore indie cinema The Projector owes over $1.2m to creditors In his National Day Rally speech, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said the Government will take much tougher action against vaping and treat it as a drug issue with stiffer penalties to be imposed. He said vaping will be treated as a drug issue. 'Many of these vapes are laced with addictive and harmful substances like etomidate. So, the vapes themselves are just the delivery devices. The real danger is what is inside. 'Right now, it is etomidate. In future, it could be something worse – stronger or far more dangerous drugs,' added PM Wong. The move comes amid concerns over the prevalence of Kpods in vapes seized in Singapore. Kpods are vapes laced with synthetic drugs, such as etomidate, ketamine and methamphetamines. Health Minister Ong Ye Kung had announced on July 20 the intention to list etomidate under the Misuse of Drugs Act (MDA) , after one in three vapes recently seized here was found to contain the pharmaceutical drug. The Ministry of Home Affairs is expected to list etomidate under the MDA as an interim measure while the Ministry of Health (MOH) continues to study further legislative action. This paves the way for Kpod abusers and traffickers to be treated in the same way as those who abuse or traffic drugs, with mandatory rehabilitation and jail time for repeat offenders. In a recent enforcement operation on Aug 15, authorities seized over 280 e-vaporisers in raids at pubs, bars and KTV lounges islandwide. In all, more than 640 people were checked by officers from the Singapore Police Force, the HSA and other agencies, including the Central Narcotics Bureau. Two HSA officers (right) logging the details of a vape offender on Aug 20 at UOB Plaza. ST PHOTO: ZAIHAN MOHAMED YUSOF HSA said that of the 640 people checked during raids, 115 people aged 17 to 61 were caught for vape-related offences. They included five who were caught with suspected etomidate vapes, or Kpods. Meanwhile, HSA said it is working with Hong Kong's Department of Health to tackle vaping by exchanging information and expertise with each other. HSA has also advertised job openings for investigators specifically to crack down on Kpods . More than 800 people have since applied for the job. MOH and HSA said on Aug 14 that more than 100 people were under investigation for offences involving vapes. Members of the public can report vaping offences to the Tobacco Regulation Branch on 6684-2036 or 6684-2037 from 9am to 9pm daily, or online at Those who need help to quit vaping can join the Health Promotion Board's I Quit programme by calling the QuitLine on 1800-438-2000. The authorities have said those who voluntarily seek support to quit vaping will not face any penalties for doing so.
Independent Singapore
14 hours ago
- Independent Singapore
Commuters caught vaping on public transport will be reported, asked to leave premises
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