Singapore passed amendments to strengthen enforcement against vaping, with tougher penalties set to take effect May 1 under the renamed Tobacco and Vaporizers Control Act 1993. The updated legislation replaces the earlier Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) Act 1993 and targets e-cigarettes and “KPods,” vaping devices laced with the anesthetic etomidate. Individuals caught using vapes could face fines of up to S$10,000 ($7,800), up from S$2,000 ($1,560), while sellers may be fined up to S$200,000 ($156,000) and jailed for up to six years. Importing vapes will carry mandatory prison terms of up to nine years and fines of up to S$300,000 ($234,000).
The law also introduces harsher penalties for offenses involving minors or vulnerable people, including up to 20 years in prison and 15 strokes of the cane for adults who involve them in smuggling or supplying KPods. Entertainment venues such as clubs and bars must prevent patrons from vaping and require devices to be discarded, while drivers entering Singapore can no longer avoid liability by claiming they were unaware of vapes in their vehicles.