Singaporeans and permanent residents who use drug-laced vapes abroad may now face prosecution at home.
The clarification was made on 22 September 2025 in Parliament, with the government citing the extraterritorial reach of the Misuse of Drugs Act (MDA).
This means that drug use outside Singapore is treated as if the offence took place domestically.
Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim told the House that the provision applies to etomidate, a sedative used medically for anaesthesia.
The drug was listed as a Class C controlled substance on 1 September.
First-time offenders aged 18 and above will face fines of S$700, while those under 18 will be fined S$500. They will also be required to undergo rehabilitation programmes lasting up to six months.
Repeat abusers of etomidate will face mandatory supervision for six months, including regular drug testing and rehabilitation.
Those aged 16 and above who are caught three or more times will undergo a 12-month regime, including treatment at a drug rehabilitation centre, followed by testing and supervision.
For offenders under 16, the law prescribes one year of mandatory supervision and testing.
ICA foils 76 large-scale vape smuggling bids in a year, seizing half a million vapes
The discussion in Parliament lasted from 11.45am to 12.30pm and covered smuggling, youth use, and enforcement gaps.
Muhammad Faishal said that from 15 September 2024 to 14 September 2025, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority intercepted 76 attempts at large-scale vape smuggling at border checkpoints and 57 attempts via postal channels.
More than 500,000 vapes and components were seized in this period.
On 15 September, authorities seized more than 18,400 vapes and 1,400 components from a lorry at Tuas Checkpoint.
This was the largest haul at a land checkpoint since enhanced penalties against vaping took effect on 1 September.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime reported in May that organised crime groups have been pushing drug-laced vapes in Asia.
Malaysia’s Health Ministry also revealed that 65.6 per cent of seized vape liquids in 2023–2024 contained drugs.
Local syndicate dismantled
In July, it was reported that one in three vapes seized in Singapore contained etomidate.
On 10 September, the Central Narcotics Bureau dismantled a syndicate selling etomidate-laced vapes.
Eight individuals were arrested in operations across Telok Blangah, Hougang and Boon Lay.
Over 400 Kpods and S$22,000 in cash were seized.
Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said that in the first eight months of 2025, the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) detected nearly 10,000 cases of possession or use of vapes.
Over half of the users were under 25 years old. In the same period, 38 cases of vape supply were detected, alongside 70 cases involving etomidate-laced vapes.
Whole-of-government enforcement
Ong noted that more than 2,800 online vape advertisements had been removed between January and August, including listings on messaging platforms.
Since etomidate’s listing as a controlled drug, over 10,000 officers across agencies have been empowered to enforce vape-related offences.
Joint raids have been carried out at nightlife venues and institutes of higher learning.
Public vigilance and reporting
The HSA has received more than 4,600 hotline reports and over 1,400 online submissions about vape use since January.
To encourage users to dispose of devices, the “Bin the Vape” initiative collected around 6,000 vapes between 25 July and 31 August.
Ong said that while the bins have now been reduced, they remain at border checkpoints and rehabilitation sites.
Authorities have expanded support programmes such as QuitVape and I Quit to help users stop vaping.
Between 1 and 14 September, 74 people enrolled in these initiatives. Ong said they complement law enforcement by addressing addiction directly.
Questions on enforcement capacity
Workers’ Party(WP) MP for Sengkang GRC Associate Professor Jamus Lim asked if police officers would now be empowered to take enforcement action against vapers, noting that earlier cases had been directed only to HSA.
He raised concerns that HSA’s manpower may be insufficient. Fellow MP Melvin Yong had previously highlighted similar issues.
Ong clarifies inter-agency powers
Ong responded that enforcement powers now extend beyond HSA to multiple agencies, including the Singapore Police Force, Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, and Central Narcotics Bureau.
He explained that penalties for etomidate were previously less stringent, creating enforcement gaps. The temporary listing of the substance under the MDA closes these loopholes, ahead of new legislation planned for early 2026.
Medical use of etomidate to continue
Dennis Tan, WP MP for Hougang SMC, asked whether the government intended to phase out medical use of etomidate given the rise in vape-related cases.
Ong said this was unlikely, as etomidate remains valuable as an anaesthetic, particularly for emergency intubation.
He added that its handling is tightly controlled, previously under the Poisons Act and now under the MDA.
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