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New Paper
17-05-2025
- New Paper
Nearly 18,000 people caught for possession and use of vapes over 15 months: HSA, MOH
Close to 18,000 people were caught between January 2024 and March 2025 for the possession and use of e-vaporisers after the authorities stepped up enforcement efforts. The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) and Ministry of Health said in a joint statement on May 16 that e-vaporisers and related components worth more than $41 million were seized in the course of the 15 months. HSA also led 50 successful operations against large-scale syndicates that dealt in such products. It prosecuted 27 offenders - 20 men and seven women aged between 20 and 46 - for failing to pay their composition fines, and took another 60 people to court for selling e-vaporisers. Those who failed to pay on time for their vaping offences faced harsher penalties, such as higher fines or longer jail sentences, said the authorities. The group of 60 includes two people linked to an e-vaporiser syndicate case that involved more than $5 million worth of the devices. Ivan Sin was fined $16,000 and given 10 months' jail, while Toh Wee Leong was fined $14,000 and given the same jail term. These are the harshest sentences given to offenders for smuggling e-vaporisers so far, said the authorities. A key figure of another syndicate linked to a case that involved more than $6.5 million worth of e-vaporisers was nabbed in October 2024, and investigations are ongoing. During the 15-month period, 101 people were caught with e-vaporisers during checks involving 20,800 travellers at air, land and sea checkpoints by HSA and Immigration and Checkpoints Authority officers. HSA is also working more closely with local e-commerce and social media platforms to take down online listings offering e-vaporisers. More than 6,800 online listings of vapes and related components were removed during the period, more than double the 3,100 listings removed in 2023, said the authorities. Another 15 people were identified and fined for posting photos or videos of e-vaporisers on social media accounts. On the education front, schools and institutes of higher learning (IHLs) also stepped up efforts to reinforce the anti-vaping message and importance of maintaining a nicotine-free lifestyle, the statement said. It said: "From January 2024 to March 2025, nearly 118,500 students from schools and IHLs were engaged through educational skits, peer-led initiatives and outreach activities aimed at raising awareness about the harms of vaping. "About 2,600 students were referred to HSA by schools and IHLs for vaping." For students caught vaping, the Health Promotion Board (HPB) offers cessation support via tele-counselling service QuitLine, and on-site counselling by student health advisers in some schools. Nearly 1,800 youth received counselling over the course of the 15 months. HPB and the Ministry of Education will soon start a year-long virtual cessation counselling pilot for all secondary schools, slated to kick off in July, the statement said. Those found guilty of possessing, using or buying e-vaporisers can be fined up to $2,000. Those who import, distribute, sell or offer e-vaporisers and related components for sale can be fined up to $10,000, jailed for up to six months, or both, for the first offence. Those who have been caught vaping are reminded to pay their fines promptly, said HSA, adding that those who fail to pay before the due date will face harsher consequences if they are prosecuted in court.
Straits Times
08-05-2025
- Health
- Straits Times
Forum: Strengthen preventive education to lower healthcare costs
F or most diseases and injuries, prevention is always the best treatment. It is especially relevant to Singapore's ageing population and given the rising costs of healthcare. Well-established research shows that the prevalence of certain health conditions and injuries can be significantly reduced through structured preventive measures. Take falls as an example. Comprehensive programmes that include individual risk assessments, home safety screening, health education and balance exercises have been shown to effectively reduce fall risk and associated fractures by 20 to 40 per cent. The Health Promotion Board (HPB) and the Ministry of Health have made commendable efforts in fall prevention. For instance, over 50,000 seniors participated in HPB's community exercise classes in 2019, and programmes like Rolling Good Times have shown measurable improvements in seniors' balance, strength and cognitive function. These are strong local examples of how preventive strategies can work, yet participation numbers remain modest compared with the size of Singapore's senior population. Furthermore, preventive programmes can and should be extended to areas such as dementia care, chronic pain and osteoarthritis management. To be aligned with the goals of the Healthier SG initiative, hospitals, polyclinics and community healthcare providers should be encouraged to develop more preventive educational programmes. One of the key barriers, however, is funding. These programmes can be supported by allowing targeted populations to use their MediSave for such services, or extending SkillsFuture credits to cover preventive health classes provided by hospitals or polyclinics. These measures can significantly lower the prevalence of several health conditions and healthcare costs in the long run. Prevention is not only cost-effective, but also strengthens communities and supports a sustainable healthcare system. Christopher Lo Chi Ngai Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
02-05-2025
- Health
- Straits Times
Grading for salt, soy sauce, oils may shape palates in Singapore for sodium, saturated fat
Local food manufacturers will need to invest in research and development, adjust production processes, and source for alternative ingredients. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO SINGAPORE – When packaged sauces, seasonings, instant noodles and cooking oils go under a nutritional grading programme in mid-2027, consumers can expect manufacturers to tweak the recipes for some of their products to qualify for healthier grades. The hope is that the Nutri-Grade labelling scheme will shape people's palates for them to prefer less sodium and saturated fats, when manufacturers reformulate their products to contain less of these nutrients. After all, the scheme, which now applies to beverages, has been successful in tempering Singaporeans' taste for sweet drinks. Many people now opt for packaged drinks carrying an A or B on their front packaging for containing less sugar. Local food manufacturers will need to invest in research and development, adjust production processes, and source for alternative ingredients. Under the Nutri-Grade labelling scheme, these products will be graded A to D – with D having the highest amounts of sodium, sugar and/or saturated fat, or so-called nutrients of concern. Products labelled C and D must carry a front-of-pack label. In addition, those labelled D cannot be advertised. The expanded scheme will apply to 23 sub-categories of prepacked salt, sauces, seasonings, instant noodles, and cooking oils, with each of the categories having its own grading thresholds. A check with the Health Promotion Board (HPB) showed that currently and collectively, some 42 per cent of these products have sodium, sugar and/or saturated fat thresholds equivalent to Nutri-Grade D, and another 26 per cent have thresholds equivalent to Grade C . Health Minister Ong Ye Kung, who announced the extension of the scheme at an April 6 Singapore Heart Foundation event, said the practical thing for manufacturers to do would be to reformulate their products progressively. 'That means, if the product is Grade D, the manufacturer can make practical, small adjustments to reformulate to Grade C, before taking larger steps to achieve Grades A or B,' he said. Dr Kalpana Bhaskaran, president of the Singapore Nutrition and Dietetics Association and the head of the Glycemic Index Research Unit at Temasek Polytechnic, s aid brands may reformulate to avoid negative consumer perceptions. This could eventually drive consumer preferences and tastes. 'Manufacturers should consider this as an opportunity for innovation – companies may start investing in healthier alternatives or clearer messaging to maintain consumer trust and be a catalyst to rethink how they support consumers' overall health and well-being,' she said. When contacted, local food manufacturers said they supported the move to improve people's health, but that reformulation will take time and effort, and multiple challenges exist. Balancing taste with health Ms Cyndy Au, deputy chairwoman of the Food & Beverage Industry Group at the Singapore Manufacturing Federation, said that manufacturers of sauces, seasonings and instant noodles are likely to launch healthier product lines while keeping their best-selling products unchanged. The federation's food and beverage group members include the key manufacturers of packaged seasonings and sauces , and instant noodles here, including Kwong Cheong Thye, Seah's Spices, Sin Hwa Dee, Kikkoman, and Nestle. Reducing sodium without compromising on taste is not straightforward, and manufacturers will not be able to tell if customers will take to the reformulated product , said Ms Au. Tat Hui Foods, currently the only supplier of multigrain instant noodles with the voluntary Healthier Choice symbol here, said it is challenging to develop healthier instant noodles that are appealing to customers with less fat and salt, and no artificial additives or enhancers. It has more than 20 instant noodle products that would qualify for either an A or B Nutri-Grade label, said Tat Hui Foods marketing director Shiang Lim. 'Sales started off very slowly for healthier instant noodles, but we are glad that they are now picking up as consumers become more health-conscious.' While nutritional labelling systems such as Nutri-Grade are important for public health, a product with a less favourable grade may be a higher-quality product because of the traditional brewing method and taste, noted Mr Thomas Pek, the managing director of sauce maker Tai Hua Food Industries. Tai Hua's superior soy sauce product, for instance, may not receive a favourable Nutri-Grade rating because of its sodium content, but the salt is essential for the traditional brewing process and flavour development, he said. Reformulating its soy sauce products would also affect not just the taste but the manufacturing process and cost of packaging, he added. Dr Kalpana said that mayonnaise or creamy dressings, certain sauces like satay, curry, and some dipping sauces can contain significant amounts of saturated fat and are high in sodium, as well as sugar. 'The primary challenge when reducing fat, sugar, or salt in sauces is maintaining a balance of flavours. Without these key ingredients, the sauce may taste less rich, less satisfying, or more one-dimensional.' Manufacturers can get help through the HPB's Healthier Ingredient Development Scheme, a grant to support development of healthier products, when reformulating their products. However, reformulating products to achieve better health grades involves more than just swopping ingredients, said Ms Au. It often requires substituting the salt with a combination of potassium chloride, yeast extracts, MSG, herbs and spices with natural flavour, she said. Manufacturers may also have to retrofit or enhance a manufacturing line to produce the reformulated products, thus driving up their cost, she said. For products like instant noodles, they may have to reformulate not just the seasoning, but also the noodles. They may need to invest in new research and development, rework production processes, source alternative ingredients, redesign packaging and conduct consumer testing to see if people like the new product, said Ms Au. 'These efforts come with time and cost implications and depending on the scale of reformulation, consumers may see some price adjustments.' Signs of excessive sodium intake The authorities hope that people will make better choices once they know the nutritional contents of what they buy and use. Rising demand will help to bring down the costs, HPB said. Professor Tan Huay Cheem, chairman of the Singapore Heart Foundation, said that a person requires only about 500mg of sodium a day to function properly, though the World Health Organisation allows up to a maximum of 2,000mg per day of sodium intake. 'But in Singapore, we know that Singaporeans consume more than 3,400mg of sodium a day,' he said. Because people are primed to that level of salt intake, it would be hard for them to judge how much less salt is in a product from the taste alone, he said. People also cannot rely on signs like thirst and water retention to see if they have had too much salt, as damage might have been done by then. 'By the time you have consumed too much, you probably have developed some kind of acute or chronic effect of sodium overdose,' said Prof Tan, a senior consultant at the National University Heart Centre, Singapore, 'Acutely, one can feel thirsty, bloated and experience swelling in the legs. Chronically, your blood pressure may be elevated, causing hypertension and other complications.' Singaporeans also consume more than the daily limit of saturated fat, mostly from cooking oils. Dr Kalpana said consumers can adjust to eating healthier with time. They can start by using less of their usual sauces and over time, as their taste buds adjust, gradually shift to using the lower-sodium versions. These have 25 per cent less sodium than the regular versions. 'For a start, if you reduce your sodium intake by half, you'll find that there will be a significant reduction in blood pressure… in those who have normal blood pressure and people who have hypertension,' said Prof Tan. He said this reduction in blood pressure can happen within a week, and there are studies that have shown that once you reduce the blood pressure, you become more salt sensitive. 'You will find that by reducing salt and saturated fat.. your entire sense of well-being is enhanced. Perhaps you may have improved energy. You certainly don't have that loaded feeling of water retention from excessive sodium intake.' When manufacturers begin to offer new products because of the scheme, the overall outcome is that the average product could become healthier, with less sodium and less saturated fat – as it happened with soft drinks. In 2024, Singapore was one of eight cities across Asia conferred the World Health Organisation Healthy Cities Recognition Awards, for its Nutri-Grade measures in transforming food environments to improve public health. In the near future, a simple label may be all it takes to get manufacturers and consumers to a better place – one where informed choices can be easily made, for the benefit of all. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Singapore's health minister assures parents who report children for vaping won't face fines
SINGAPORE, March 3 — Children reported by their parents for vaping will not be fined, Minister of State for Health Rahayu Mahzam clarified in Parliament today. According to Channel News Asia (CNA), Rahayu was responding to a question from Member of Parliament Tan Wu Meng (PAP-Jurong), who inquired about the number of vaping cases stemming from parental referrals to the police, as well as the Health Sciences Authority's (HSA) approach to such cases. She noted that over the past two years, the HSA had received between 4,000 and 5,000 cases related to the possession or use of e-vaporisers from the police. However, only one case involved a parent reporting their child for vaping. In that instance, the individual was given a warning rather than a fine and was referred to the Health Promotion Board (HPB) for counselling. Rahayu further clarified that parents concerned about their children vaping could call the HPB QuitLine for a referral to HPB's smoking and vaping cessation service. 'No enforcement action will be taken against the children,' she was quoted as saying by the news portal. In response, Tan shared that one of his residents had discovered their child vaping. Unsure of how to handle the situation, the parent took the child to the nearest police station. The case was then referred to the HSA, and the child was fined S$300 (RM992). Tan noted that the parents were distressed and concerned, fearing that such an approach, though well-intentioned, might discourage other parents from seeking help for their children. Rahayu reassured the House that the authorities had addressed the situation appropriately after Tan raised the issue. She added that, in general, they take a nuanced approach when dealing with cases where parents voluntarily bring their children forward, particularly when there is a genuine intention to help them stop vaping. Rahayu also encouraged MPs to highlight any cases where parents had approached the police and fines were issued.
