‘No let-up on war on vaping’, says HSA chief executive; youngest abuser was 10 years old
HSA CEO Raymond Chua said vaping and its supply networks will continue to evolve, just like scams and drugs.
Health Sciences Authority (HSA) chief executive Raymond Chua disclosed that the youngest vape abuser in Singapore is just 10 years old. The HSA has also discovered vapes laced with illicit substances such as ketamine, cannabis, and benzhexol, which is medically used to reduce tremors and muscle stiffness in individuals with movement disorders.
Speaking to The Straits Times on July 29, 2025, Chua expressed concern about the constantly evolving vaping situation in Singapore, warning of new harmful substances, more covert vape devices, and sophisticated syndicates that are difficult to detect. The surge in public vaping and reports of Kpod-related seizures and seizures in 2025 prompted The Straits Times to launch its anti-vaping campaign, "Vaping: The Invisible Crisis," on July 13, 2025.
The government announced harsher penalties for vaping, including caning for Kpod suppliers and rehabilitation for abusers, on September 1, 2025. These penalties, along with enhanced anti-vaping laws, came into effect on May 1, 2026. Chua emphasized that while HSA has taken an aggressive stance against vaping, the turning point came with the rise of etomidate-laced vapes, leading to increased efforts due to the heightened public health risk.
Over 8,300 people were caught possessing and using vapes between September 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026, with 8% of vape abusers aged 16 and below. Over 13,000 officers from 50 agencies have been granted powers to take action against vape users. Chua urged the public to report vaping cases, citing a hotline with daily reporting from 7am to midnight, which received more than 4,900 calls and online reports from September 2025 to June 2026.
One such report led to a raid of two warehouses in Bishan and Ubi, resulting in the seizure of over 60,000 vapes and their components. Chua highlighted the importance of public vigilance in the ongoing fight against vaping, warning that complacency could lead to an increase in cases.
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