SINGAPORE: Since March, students caught for the first time buying, using or possessing vapes will be referred to the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) and may be fined up to S$2,000.
This was announced by the Health Ministry (MOH) and HSA in a joint press release on Tuesday (Apr 9), with the new measure aimed at deterring youths from vaping.
The Ministry of Education (MOE) told CNA in December that when a student is caught vaping, schools will inform their parents and confiscate the prohibited product. Schools will also mete out appropriate disciplinary actions such as suspension, or caning for boys.
“Recalcitrant offenders may be referred to HSA, which may issue them a fine,” the spokesperson said.
From Jan 1 to Mar 31 this year, schools and Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) referred about 250 cases to HSA.
IHLs have been reviewing sanctions which include corrective work orders or mandatory community service.
The sanctions also include the revoking of hostel privileges for recalcitrant student offenders from autonomous universities who have been caught possessing or peddling vapes.
Schools and IHLs will continue their regular detection and enforcement efforts through internal reporting channels and campus patrols. These include joint operations by HSA and universities.
"For students who are caught vaping, in addition to the penalty imposed by HSA, schools and IHLs will continue to mete out consequences through existing disciplinary frameworks, such as suspension or caning (for boys in schools)," said the authorities.
"Students caught vaping will also be placed on cessation support programmes where counsellors will guide them through their cessation journey."
CNA reported in December last year that some youths were starting to pick up the habit of vaping from as early as primary school, with sellers targeting younger people.
In addition to enforcement efforts, schools and IHLs are working with HPB to "amplify anti-vaping messages" in educational materials and preventive programmes.
They are also raising awareness of the harms of vaping, and providing cessation support for students who are caught vaping.
These programmes include QuitLine, a tele-counselling service, as well as on-site counselling by Student Health Advisors.
Last year, about 2,350 youths received smoking and vaping cessation counselling from these programmes, of which 38 per cent have either reduced or quit smoking and/or vaping one month after counselling.
From Jan 1 to Mar 31, more than 2,200 people were caught for the possession and use of e-vaporisers.
Singapore authorities handled around 8,000 vaping-related offences last year, a 43 per cent jump from the 5,600 similar offences recorded in 2022. A total of 7,600 offences were recorded in 2021.
In the first quarter of 2024, HSA disrupted several illegal vape distribution networks, seizing more than S$7 million worth of vapes and components in total.
Joint operations were also conducted by HSA and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) at Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints and Changi Airport.
In the first quarter of this year, 40 vape-related cases were detected at the border. Ten people were caught smuggling vapes into Singapore, while 30 were found to be in possession of vapes.
One of the smugglers has been prosecuted and the rest are pending prosecution and enforcement actions, said MOH and HSA.
Between Jan 1 and Mar 31, about 1,950 people were caught for possession or use of vapes in public areas, such as the central business district, entertainment outlets and around shopping centres.
Seizure of vapes from attempted smuggling at Tuas checkpoint. (Photo: MOH, HSA)
Large quantities of vapes found in record haul. (Photo: MOH/HSA)
Authorities continued to seize large quantities of vaping products over the past year, including a record haul of 85,000 such products seized during a warehouse raid in March 2023.
In January, authorities raided a warehouse unit at 31 Woodlands Close, where more than 81,000 vapes and related components worth a total of over S$1.1 million were seized. Five people aged 19 to 39 years old are assisting in the investigations.
In 2023, more than 3,000 e-vaporiser-related online listings were removed by the authorities, an increase from the 2,600 online listings removed the year before.
HSA and MOH have notified 16 social media and e-commerce platforms to remind them that hosting vaping-related content is breach of the law.
"The onus is on social media services and e-commerce platforms to exercise due diligence and proactively remove vaping-related content. Enforcement actions may be taken against the platforms that are found with inadequate processes to detect and remove vaping-related contents," said the authorities.
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This was announced by the Health Ministry (MOH) and HSA in a joint press release on Tuesday (Apr 9), with the new measure aimed at deterring youths from vaping.
The Ministry of Education (MOE) told CNA in December that when a student is caught vaping, schools will inform their parents and confiscate the prohibited product. Schools will also mete out appropriate disciplinary actions such as suspension, or caning for boys.
“Recalcitrant offenders may be referred to HSA, which may issue them a fine,” the spokesperson said.
From Jan 1 to Mar 31 this year, schools and Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) referred about 250 cases to HSA.
IHLs have been reviewing sanctions which include corrective work orders or mandatory community service.
The sanctions also include the revoking of hostel privileges for recalcitrant student offenders from autonomous universities who have been caught possessing or peddling vapes.
Schools and IHLs will continue their regular detection and enforcement efforts through internal reporting channels and campus patrols. These include joint operations by HSA and universities.
"For students who are caught vaping, in addition to the penalty imposed by HSA, schools and IHLs will continue to mete out consequences through existing disciplinary frameworks, such as suspension or caning (for boys in schools)," said the authorities.
"Students caught vaping will also be placed on cessation support programmes where counsellors will guide them through their cessation journey."
CNA reported in December last year that some youths were starting to pick up the habit of vaping from as early as primary school, with sellers targeting younger people.
In addition to enforcement efforts, schools and IHLs are working with HPB to "amplify anti-vaping messages" in educational materials and preventive programmes.
They are also raising awareness of the harms of vaping, and providing cessation support for students who are caught vaping.
These programmes include QuitLine, a tele-counselling service, as well as on-site counselling by Student Health Advisors.
Last year, about 2,350 youths received smoking and vaping cessation counselling from these programmes, of which 38 per cent have either reduced or quit smoking and/or vaping one month after counselling.
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From Jan 1 to Mar 31, more than 2,200 people were caught for the possession and use of e-vaporisers.
Singapore authorities handled around 8,000 vaping-related offences last year, a 43 per cent jump from the 5,600 similar offences recorded in 2022. A total of 7,600 offences were recorded in 2021.
In the first quarter of 2024, HSA disrupted several illegal vape distribution networks, seizing more than S$7 million worth of vapes and components in total.
Joint operations were also conducted by HSA and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) at Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints and Changi Airport.
In the first quarter of this year, 40 vape-related cases were detected at the border. Ten people were caught smuggling vapes into Singapore, while 30 were found to be in possession of vapes.
One of the smugglers has been prosecuted and the rest are pending prosecution and enforcement actions, said MOH and HSA.
Between Jan 1 and Mar 31, about 1,950 people were caught for possession or use of vapes in public areas, such as the central business district, entertainment outlets and around shopping centres.
Seizure of vapes from attempted smuggling at Tuas checkpoint. (Photo: MOH, HSA)
Large quantities of vapes found in record haul. (Photo: MOH/HSA)
Authorities continued to seize large quantities of vaping products over the past year, including a record haul of 85,000 such products seized during a warehouse raid in March 2023.
In January, authorities raided a warehouse unit at 31 Woodlands Close, where more than 81,000 vapes and related components worth a total of over S$1.1 million were seized. Five people aged 19 to 39 years old are assisting in the investigations.
In 2023, more than 3,000 e-vaporiser-related online listings were removed by the authorities, an increase from the 2,600 online listings removed the year before.
HSA and MOH have notified 16 social media and e-commerce platforms to remind them that hosting vaping-related content is breach of the law.
"The onus is on social media services and e-commerce platforms to exercise due diligence and proactively remove vaping-related content. Enforcement actions may be taken against the platforms that are found with inadequate processes to detect and remove vaping-related contents," said the authorities.
Continue reading...