Girl, 13, among 3 probed for offences linked to etomidate-laced vapes: HSA
Ian Cheng for The Straits Times
The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) raided a teenager's home after she was seen behaving erratically while vaping in public outside the State Courts on April 24.
In a statement on May 13, HSA said that it had been alerted then that the 13-year-old girl was observed to be "unsteady in gait and appeared to be oblivious of her surroundings; a sign of possible drug intoxication".
The authority subsequently identified her, and in the raid on her residence, seized one e-vaporiser that was tested to contain etomidate - a medicinal ingredient used in clinical practice as an anaesthetic agent.
The authority then also identified and caught the 25-year-old man who sold the e-vaporiser to the girl. One e-vaporiser and three pods seized from him were also found to contain etomidate.
The man, his 26-year-old wife, and the teenager are all assisting in an investigation into the case. Etomidate is a potent ingredient that should be administered only under medical supervision, said HSA.
Adverse effects of etomidate include nausea and vomiting, uncontrollable movement or spasm of muscles, changes to breathing and blood pressure, seizures and psychosis as well as physical dependence.
In a separate incident, HSA identified a 36-year-old man who was filmed vaping on an MRT train in a video posted on social media on April 18.
HSA raided the man's residence, but did not find any e-vaporisers, and the man claimed he had thrown it away. The authority is investigating the case.
Vaping is illegal in Singapore.
The purchase, possession and use of e-vaporisers are prohibited under the Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) Act, including those bought online or from overseas. Offenders can be fined up to $2,000.
Those found with pods containing etomidate can also be charged under the Poisons Act. Those convicted can be jailed for up to two years, fined up to $10,000, or both.
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