New vape laws mooted to raise fines to $10k for users, $200k for sellers, $300k for smugglers
Singapore proposes significantly increased fines for vape-related offenses, targeting users, sellers, and smugglers with penalties up to $300,000.Summary
The Singaporean government has proposed amendments to the Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) Act, soon to be renamed the Tobacco and Vaporisers Control Act, to combat vaping. The proposed changes, outlined in the Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) (Amendment) and Other Matters Bill, dramatically increase fines for vape-related offenses. Users could face fines up to $10,000, sellers up to $200,000 and six years’ jail, and smugglers up to $300,000 and nine years’ jail. These increases represent a five, twenty, and thirty-fold rise respectively. The Bill also addresses the growing concern of etomidate-laced vapes, known as Kpods, by listing etomidate and its analogues as specified psychoactive substances, ensuring consistent penalties for possession, use, and trafficking, even when committed overseas. The move follows a National Day Rally speech by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, who pledged tougher action against vaping, treating it as a drug issue, and reflects a significant escalation in enforcement since vaping was banned in Singapore in 2018.
(Source：The Straits Times)
