2FIRSTS | Singapore Health Minister Ong Ye Kung receives SEATCA award for tobacco control and anti-vaping push
Singapore's Health Minister Ong Ye Kung received SEATCA's inaugural Trailblazer Award for his leadership in tobacco control and anti-vaping efforts.Summary
Singapore Health Minister Ong Ye Kung has been awarded the inaugural Prakit Vathesatogkit Trailblazer Award by the Southeast Asian Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) for his significant contributions to tobacco control, particularly in addressing the rise of vaping. The award recognizes Singapore’s long-standing ban on vaping, strengthened enforcement measures, and its proactive role in sharing tobacco control policies with other ASEAN nations. In response to a surge in student vaping in 2025, approximately 260 schools were equipped with nicotine test kits and mandated to report incidents. Furthermore, stricter regulations came into effect on September 1, 2025, including the classification of etomidate (found in Kpods) as a Class C drug and increased penalties for students caught vaping. Singapore’s Ambassador to Thailand, Catherine Wong, accepted the award on Minister Ong’s behalf at SEATCA’s 25th-anniversary event in Bangkok.
(Source：2Firsts)
