Authorities in Singapore have arrested 32 individuals for suspected etomidate abuse in the first week after broad changes to anti-vaping legislation.
Late on September 8, the Ministry of Health (MOH) announced that 232 people had been arrested for vape-related offenses between September 1 and September 7.
Devices suspected of containing etomidate have been sent for testing, and those found in possession of vapes have been fined.
As of now, ongoing lab testing has verified that 14 individuals are in possession of Kpods. Eleven results are still pending, and seven have come back negative.
Three abusers have received notices to attend rehabilitation for a maximum of six months, according to the ministry.
An MOH spokesperson said, as reported by Straits Times, "In line with the enhanced enforcement regime, etomidate abusers are required to attend rehabilitation in lieu of prosecution." The spokesperson added that in order to assist people in overcoming their addiction, the rehabilitation program will emphasize education, counseling, and support.
Ong Ye Kung, the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Health Minister, stated in a Facebook post that the first suspected etomidate trafficker was charged on Monday, September 8, under the Misuse of Drugs Act (MDA).
After being apprehended allegedly in possession of 43 e-vaporizer pods laced with etomidate, Derek Khor Boon Chun, 40, was charged with trafficking.
On September 6, he was apprehended at a parking lot on Ang Mo Kio Avenue 4.
On September 1, etomidate was categorized by the MDA as a Class C controlled substance. Traffickers who are found guilty may face two to five canings and two to ten years in prison.
More than 5,000 front-line enforcement officers from the Central Narcotics Bureau, Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau, Land Transport Authority, Ministry of Manpower, Singapore Civil Defence Force, Singapore Prison Service, and public transport operators have been authorized by the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) to take such action against e-vaporizer users in order to strengthen enforcement action, according to MOH.
Bin The Vape Campaign
Officers from the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, Ministry of Education, National Environment Agency, National Parks Board, Singapore Customs, Singapore Police Force, and HSA make up the enforcement force, which is nearly doubled as a result.
According to the ministry, during the July 25–August 31 Bin The Vape campaign, the public disposed of an estimated 6,000 e-vaporizers and related parts, or six full bins.
Under supervision, these devices will be ready for incineration for appropriate destruction.
According to MOH, disposal bins will remain available at specific locations, such as border checkpoints and QuitVape and rehabilitation programs.
To combat the vape epidemic, which has seen a record number of devices seized since a ban on vaping was implemented in 2018, the government announced in August that enforcement actions would be intensified.
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong stated that Singapore will handle vaping as a drug issue during his National Day Rally speech on August 17.
On August 28, Ong, Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam, who is also the Coordinating Minister for National Security, and Education Minister Desmond Lee, who is also the Minister-in-charge of Social Services Integration, announced a broad range of punishments, including caning and up to 20 years in prison for those found supplying etomidate.
Medical professionals in both public and private practices are legally obligated to notify the authorities of suspected etomidate abusers within seven days of September 1.
Between July 9 and August 18, public healthcare facilities reported almost 50 suspected cases of etomidate abuse.
Punishment For Abusers
Under the MDA, importers of Kpods will be subject to five to fifteen strokes of the cane and three to twenty years in prison starting on September 1.
Selling or distributing Kpods carries a sentence of two to ten years in prison and two to five canings.
The increased fine for first-time etomidate abusers will be $700 for those over 18 or $500 for those under 18. Additionally, they will have to spend up to six months in rehabilitation.
A six-month mandatory supervision period, including drug testing and rehabilitation, will be imposed on those who are caught a second time.
Kpod abusers who are 16 years of age or older and are apprehended for the third time or more will be subject to a 12-month program that includes drug testing, supervision, and treatment in a drug rehabilitation facility.
For a year, anyone under the age of sixteen will be subject to required supervision and drug testing.
According to MOH, Kpod users who want assistance in kicking their addiction can use the QuitVape national program, which connects them with the Singapore Anti-Narcotics Association, We Care Community Services, Institute of Mental Health, Thye Hua Kwan Moral Charities, and Fei Yue Community Services.
When the improved measure takes effect, people who willingly ask for assistance won't face consequences.
According to the ministry, between September 1 and September 7, 17 people reached out to the agencies for assistance in stopping their misuse of Kpods. Additionally, 21 people registered for the Health Promotion Board's I Quit vaping program.
Ong thanked the public and all government agencies for their support of anti-vaping initiatives in his Facebook post.
