Parliament: HSA continues efforts to fight illegal vape culture, 465 people caught for owning vapes since ban

SINGAPORE - The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) will continue to work with the police force and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority to deter the illegal import, sale, and purchase of vaporisers (also known as e-cigarettes, or vapes), said Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Health and Home Affairs Amrin Amin in Parliament on Tuesday (Nov 5).

This comes as 465 people were caught for the possession of vapes since a blanket ban on the devices came into force in February 2018.

The HSA also handled 219 cases involving the sale of vaporisers between Jan 1, 2017, and Sept 30 this year, all of which involved online sales.

Mr Amrin said that the penalties for offenders ranged from warnings to fines and prosecution.

The stiffest penalty imposed was a $99,000 fine, for a vape peddler prosecuted on Sept 9 this year for importing and selling vapes.

Responding to questions from Mr Melvin Yong (Tanjong Pagar GRC) on the enforcement actions taken against those who sell and possess vapes, Mr Amrin said that the authorities are working with online platforms like Carousell and Instagram to crack down on vape sellers.

"Besides enforcement, the Health Promotion Board will continue to educate Singaporeans regarding the harmful effects of vaporisers, and correct any misconception that vaporisers conclusively help with smoking cessation," Mr Amrin said.

"At the same time, we will strengthen smoking cessation programmes so that smokers can access proven therapies and methods to help them quit smoking," he added.

There is also limited evidence on the safety and efficacy of e-cigarettes as a smoking cessation product, he said.

"We will continue to monitor emerging evidence and studies," said Mr Amrin, adding that if there is robust evidence that any particular product can help smokers completely stop using tobacco or nicotine, the authorities will consider these options.