Nearly 4,000 people caught, fined for possessing or using vapes

Nearly 4,000 people in Singapore were caught and fined for possessing or using e-vaporisers over a span of three months, said the health authorities on Oct 23.

- Fatimah Mujibah

The Ministry of Health (MOH) and Health Sciences Authority (HSA) in a joint statement said the 3,840 figure recorded between July 1 and Sept 30 was a 52 per cent increase from the previous quarter.

There were 743 cases of students caught vaping by schools and institutes of higher learning (IHLS), 591 cases caught during community enforcement patrols, 44 cases found through enforcement operations in the vicinity of IHLS, and 16 cases detected at checkpoints.

MOH and HSA said they are working with the Health Promotion Board (HPB) and the Education Ministry to ramp up efforts to tackle the problem of vaping.

The agencies said they are also working with the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA), National Environment Agency and National Parks Board to carry out enforcement operations on several fronts, including at the checkpoints, on online platforms and in the community, schools and IHLS.

To address the problem in schools, the authorities are focusing their efforts on highlighting the harms of vaping, and that it is illegal in Singapore.

HPB rolled out a campaign in July, which was pushed out across both outdoor advertisements and social media channels.

HPB also put up advisories on the digital platform HealthHub that aim to explain "widespread misconceptions" and falsehoods about vaping.

In addition, schools and IHLS have stepped up efforts to teach students about the harmful effects of vaping on individuals, families and society.