Ong Ye Kung honoured by regional anti-tobacco body for work in curbing vaping
Singapore's Health Minister Ong Ye Kung received the inaugural Professor Prakit Vathesatogkit Trailblazer Award for his efforts in tobacco and vaping control.Summary
Singapore's Health Minister Ong Ye Kung was awarded the inaugural Professor Prakit Vathesatogkit Trailblazer Award by the Southeast Asian Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) for his leadership in advancing tobacco control policies, particularly in curbing vaping. The award, presented at SEATCA’s 25th-anniversary event in Bangkok, recognizes Mr. Ong’s “bold and visionary leadership,” including banning and regulating emerging nicotine products and sharing Singapore’s policy experience with other ASEAN countries. Dr. Prakit Vathesatogkit, the award’s namesake, praised Mr. Ong’s decisive policies for protecting public health regionally. Singapore initially banned vaping in 2018 and, in response to a surge in student vaping in 2025, distributed nicotine test kits to schools and mandated incident reporting. Further measures implemented under Mr. Ong’s leadership included classifying etomidate (found in Kpods) as a Class C drug and increasing penalties for students caught vaping. SEATCA also honored other tobacco control advocates at the event.
(Source：CNA)
