SINGAPORE - The number of e-vaporiser cases handled by the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) has gone up significantly from 1,565 cases in 2017 to 7,593 last year, said its spokesman on Tuesday (May 31).
The number of cases last year had also increased by more than 200 per cent since 2019, when there were 2,477 cases.
Last year, 4,697 people were caught for using and possessing e-vaporisers, up from 1,266 in 2020. A total of 1,212 people were caught this year as at March.
Close to 12,300 e-vaporisers, around 4,500 e-liquids and about 175,000 pods and components, all of which amounted to an estimated street value of more than $1.85 million, were destroyed last year.
On Tuesday, The Straits Times viewed the incineration process of seized e-vaporisers and its components at Tuas South Incineration Plant.
About 6,500 e-vaporisers, 83,500 pods and 8,000 e-liquids, which were seized items from closed cases since mid-2021, were destroyed. These items weighed around 1,620kg and had an estimated street value of $1.55 million.
The HSA spokesman said e-vaporisers and its related components are seized for investigations and destroyed once the cases are concluded.
At the incineration plant, a lorry first unloads the e-vaporisers and its related components and poly grab equipment then picks them up and drops them at the refuse bunker.
A waste crane subsequently picks up the items and feeds them into a hopper which leads to the furnace for incineration.
The use and sale of e-vaporisers were banned in Singapore on Feb 1, 2018.
Those caught purchasing, using or having in their possession such products in Singapore are liable to a fine of up to $2,000.
HSA said it works closely with the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority to detect prohibited products at the checkpoints and take enforcement action against those who buy or sell such products online.
"Singapore adopts a multi-pronged approach to curb the import and sale of e-vaporisers and related components which are banned in Singapore, including public education, counselling and enforcement," added the spokesman.
In view of illegal importers starting to change tactics to avoid detection such as concealing them in lighting fixtures, HSA said it has stepped up its vigilance and enforcement actions.
A total of 383 e-vaporiser peddlers were caught from 2017 to last year.
The HSA spokesman said: "We monitor online retail sites for the suspected peddling of such prohibited products and their refill liquids and cartridges."
He added that the agency works with e-commerce sites, such as Facebook and Carousell, to shut down such listings on platforms. More than 6,800 of such posts were removed last year.
In a recent case in February, HSA seized e-vaporisers and components worth around $700,000 from a residential unit in Upper Bukit Timah. Three men in their 30s are assisting in investigations.
Student health adviser Jolyn Koh, 30, who counsels secondary school and Institute of Technical Education students with smoking and vaping addictions, said there is a dangerous misconception that e-vaporisers are a healthier alternative to cigarettes.
Vaping and smoking can be equally damaging as both contain nicotine, she said.
Ms Koh added: "Vaping could become more popular in the future as more youngsters manage to get a hold of them online.
"Nicotine products like vapes do not need marketing campaigns or any sort of promotions. Its users will be the one influencing its usage to their circle of friends."
Dr Koong Heng Nung, director and founder of Tobacco Free Generation International, said it is tough to clamp down on users brazenly vaping despite the ban.
"Instead, we need to educate our youth that the root cause of this issue is the tobacco industry itself. The industry has marketed its products to be safe, and that is a false narrative," he added.
