Is banning and punishing enough? The complex reality of vaping in Singapore
Even as Singapore cracks down on vaping, some experts are calling for a holistic, multi-pronged approach that goes beyond punitive measures - one that takes into consideration the diverse demographic of people who vape for various reasons.
With some 300,000 vapes believed to be headed for Singapore recently seized in Malaysia, it is little surprise that raids and seizures are now reported regularly, given the scale of the problem.
And as if to emphasise the dangers of vaping, videos of stumbling individuals, dazed and high on Kpods - vape pods laced with dangerous substances such as etomidate, an anaesthetic agent - often go viral.
Public healthcare institutions also recently saw about 50 suspected Kpod cases in a six-week period.
Zero-tolerance stance
Since Sept 1, etomidate has been listed as a Class C drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act, with harsher penalties rolled out for both users and distributors, even while authorities focus on rehabilitation for young users.
Health Minister Ong Ye Kung underscored the rationale behind the tougher measures. "Vapes become a gateway for very serious substance abuse," he said, highlighting that the younger population is particularly vulnerable.
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong also said at the National Day Rally in August that imposing fines on vapers is no longer sufficient - it will now be treated as a drug issue, with "much stiffer penalties" imposed.
Laws are 'insufficient': Ex-vaper weighs in
But experts and former vape users told The New Paper that the vaping situation is more nuanced than a zero-tolerance policy can address.
Those involved span a broad demographic: from teenagers and social users to addicts to those trying to quit smoking, as well as distributors and middlemen.
All stakeholders are penalised, whether ordinary vaper or Kpod user, with fines ranging from $500 to $2,000 for users, mandatory rehabilitation and a minimum jail sentence of two years for distributors.
Some argue that such blanket policies may be pushing the issue further underground, rather than resolving it.
Multiple vape shops remain active online - TNP saw one Telegram channel boasting more than 2,000 subscribers that posts daily advertisements for vape products, showcasing new flavours.
Purchases can be made via Telegram, WhatsApp, mobile apps, or through their websites. Vape sellers that TNP reached out to did not respond to queries.
Valerie Tan (not her real name), a 23-year-old ex-vaper, attested to the pervasiveness of the issue even with the longstanding ban in place.
She started vaping when she was 19. "Back then, me and some other friends were interested in trying it out, so we went onto Telegram and found a vendor to deliver it right to our dorm that same night."
Calling herself a "social vaper", Ms Tan vaped two to three times a week with friends. Each session lasted about 15 minutes, and she found it relaxing.
She quit a year ago after noticing how some friends couldn't put their devices down. "They literally vaped every breath they took, and that was scary enough," she said.
Deeming current legislation "insufficient", she told TNP: "For every one vendor the government catches, five more make their way into Singapore.
"When there is demand, there is always supply, and the more the government tries to enforce the ban, the more underground the trade becomes."
A 'middle-class' issue: Unintended consequences of bans
Associate Professor Walter Theseira of the Singapore School of Social Sciences (SUSS) pointed out that a decision to ban or regulate substances is based on context, and not on the harm of the substance alone.
He suggested that vaping has become a "middle-class enforcement" problem, where a banned activity - like vaping - has become so common among ordinary, otherwise law-abiding citizens, that strict enforcement risks penalising a large proportion of the population.
"The problem with vaping today is that it's so widespread in Singapore that very strict enforcement would almost certainly catch up a very large number of so-called 'typical' Singaporeans," he said.
In such cases, Prof Theseira noted, harsh penalties become harder to enforce because public support for them may be lacking. "With vaping, the penalties, particularly for non-distributors, are actually quite high."
The complete ban also discourages people from coming forward, he added. "Because it's completely banned, the government has got not much data or insight into the scale of the issue, or into how it's distributed, sold, quality, and so on."
Even with vaping bins set up in community centres and autonomous universities to encourage users to surrender their vapes, Ms Tan said doing so would make her feel uncomfortable. "I'd rather just dispose of them in a normal public bin or down the rubbish chute where I know that I can't be traced."
Could regulation make vaping safer?
Discussion about legalisation of vapes has also erupted online. On a subreddit post titled "Should vapes be legalised and regulated?", one user commented: "It makes zero sense to me that cigarettes are legal and vapes aren't."
A working professional in his mid-20s and regular vape user, who declined to be named, feels that legalisation would lead to safer products. "Currently, they are sold by middlemen who have no responsibility or liability to the end user. They sell it and that's it," he said.
"With legalisation and regulation comes control and transparency, and this would do much to prevent underage vaping, and illegal drug-laced vapes."
When asked about his thoughts on harsher penalties for vape users and sellers, he agreed that while it might reduce public usage, it does little to dissuade those doing it in private.
"It's pretty hard to deter people in their own home. If I were to use a vape, the current measures would deter me from doing it in public," he said.
A 27-year-old ex-cigarette smoker, who also declined to be named, agrees. "My assumption is that if people were able to buy regulated vapes like cigarettes at a slightly higher rate, people would probably buy it legally because there's more accountability," he said.
"So less people would want to buy from the black market, which creates less incentive for peddlers to bring in absolute junk."
Protecting youth: Others warn against legalisation
Others remain wary of legalisation, suggesting that it would only encourage young people to pick up unhealthy habits.
A Reddit post titled "Unpopular opinion: The government was right about vapes from the start" amassed over 1,200 upvotes and 369 comments at press time, with many supporting the ban.
Dr Yvette Van Der Eijk of the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health at NUS, stressed that the ban plays a crucial role in protecting youth. "Legalisation would simply open the door to an open market, and companies are likely to exploit any loopholes in the regulation to reach youths," she told TNP.
"In countries with legal markets, the vaping companies claim that they are only targeting 'adult smokers', but it is clear from the design and marketing of these products that their main target is young people, most of whom are non-smokers when they first try vaping."
TikTok influencer Kao Rong Sheng, known online as Runner Kao, is vocal about the topic. The full-time content creator and father of two, who used to be a social worker, is known for his conversations with students about the vaping situation in schools.
"Youths already see vaping as less harmful than smoking, and legalising it would send the wrong message," he told TNP.
He also pointed out the false sense of safety perceived by the youth should vapes be legalised: "Regulation might make products cleaner, but vaping will always be addictive and harmful."
As Dr Lee Chuen Peng, a respiratory physician at Mount Elizabeth Hospital, noted: "Studies show that young vapers can have nicotine levels and addiction scores similar to young smokers. It's crucial to understand that e-cigarettes are not harmless."
Making vaping 'uncool': Targeting demand among youth
Although current policies focus on restricting supply, others suggest more efforts should be aimed at reducing demand.
Even with anti-vaping efforts such as the "Don't Toy With Your Life" campaign, which attempts to make vaping look unattractive and exposes potential health risks, they say more can be done to dissuade youth from wanting to vape.
Mr Kao highlighted that enforcement fails to address key issues of demand: "The real issue is perception. Youths already know it is harmful, but they think it looks cool."
"There's a need for policies to target the 'want' rather than solely restricting or eradicating vapes," said the former vape user Valerie Tan. "I think the point is to make vapes 'uncool' - by turning them into a medical device, limiting the attractive flavours."
