SINGAPORE: On Monday (Dec 8), the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and Health Sciences Authority (HSA) said in a joint press release that the Long-Term Visit Pass (LTVP) of a 15-year-old Myanmar national had been revoked.
During a routine check by Police officers, an e-vaporiser pod containing etomidate was found in the teenager’s possession. This is the first time a foreigner’s long-term immigration facility has been revoked due to the possession of an etomidate vape.
Since Sept 1, foreigners caught having or using etomidate or who test positive for etomidate, face the risk of their pass or immigration facility revoked, deportation, and being banned from re-entering Singapore.
For the time being, the teen was given a Special Pass allowing her to stay in Singapore to assist with ongoing investigations by the Police for other criminal offences. Afterward, however, she will be deported and barred from re-entering Singapore.
Read related: Singaporeans agree with treating vaping as a drug issue, some say enforcement should start at border crossings
Netizens applaud enforcement action against teen
E-cigarettes have been illegal in Singapore for some time now, but Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said in his National Day Rally speech on Aug 17 that Singapore will begin treating vaping as a “drug issue” and that enforcement efforts would be enhanced.
The rising number of young people who use vapes has been a cause for concern, especially since some have been found to contain addictive or harmful substances. Some of the vape pods that officers from the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) have seized this year were found to contain etomidate, an anaesthetic which can cause addiction and physical dependence.
Following the announcement that the Myanmar teen’s LTVP pass would be revoked and that she would be deported and banned from re-entering Singapore, many netizens praised the strict enforcement of the law.
They argued that vape users have been warned well ahead of time, and that they’ve had many opportunities to stop using the devices.
“They have been warned. Kudos for coming down hard on offenders,” a Facebook user wrote.
“Keep up the good work and don’t let up, HSA!” added another.
“Well done!! Strong signal sent,” a commenter chimed in.
Another called it a “warning to those still e-vaping secretly.”
Given the offender’s young age, others expressed concern, saying that her parents should also bear responsibility for the teen’s actions. /TISG
