Forum: Son, 10, was offered an e-cigarette while playing soccer
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I refer to the article “ Australia becomes first country to ban the sale of vapes, except at pharmacies
In Singapore, vaping and the sale and possession of vapes are illegal but it is not uncommon to see people vaping at bus stops, outside MRT stations, at void decks and on the streets.
Once, I even saw a man vaping stealthily while watching his son’s soccer training at a school.
My son, who is 10, played soccer regularly in a park near our home and he was once offered an e-cigarette by the older players. Luckily, he refused and told me about it.
The older children continued to vape and to offer vapes to the other children. So I told my son to play elsewhere. But the alternative – an ActiveSG soccer pitch – requires booking at a hefty cost.
My son just wants to play because he loves soccer and to relieve stress after a hectic day in school. Because there is no alternative for him to play casually, he sometimes goes back to the park. Thankfully, the older boys have not offered him any more vapes.
Vaping is a serious scourge and is affecting our lives in many ways. How can Singapore take a stronger approach and enforce its anti-vaping laws, especially when vaping is legal in nearby Malaysia and vapes are easily available?
How can we do more to limit the reach of e-cigarettes, catch offenders and help our younger generation choose not to vape, not to be addicted, not to risk chronic diseases and to say no to peer pressure?
Ng Poh Leng
