Inquiries to IMH from Kpod users, families triple after stiffer penalties announced on Aug 28

SINGAPORE – In the first two weeks since harsher punishments against vapes were announced, more users and their loved ones have asked the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) for help.

There were over 60 inquiries about IMH’s vaping cessation programme within 13 days since the Government

announced stricter penalties against vaping on Aug 28.

An IMH spokeswoman told The Straits Times this is triple what they received between July 1 and Aug 27.

Eight people have also joined IMH’s voluntary rehabilitation programme as at Sept 9.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) had said on Sept 8 that

17 people had contacted the five agencies

under the national rehabilitation programme, QuitVape, for help to quit Kpod abuse between Sept 1 and Sept 7.

Tougher penalties for Kpod abusers, including heavier fines and mandatory rehabilitation, were announced on Aug 28 and kicked in on Sept 1.

Kpods are vapes laced with synthetic drugs like etomidate or ketamine. Etomidate, previously regulated under the Poisons Act, is now classified as a controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act.

IMH is one of the five agencies under the QuitVape programme for Kpod abuse.

Its spokeswoman said: “We are currently managing the rehabilitation programmes within our existing resources and are prepared for an increase in demand.”

The other agencies are We Care Community Services, Singapore Anti-Narcotics Association (Sana), Thye Hua Kwan Moral Charities (THKMC) and Fei Yue Community Services.

Other vape users who need help can also call the Health Promotion Board’s QuitLine on 1800-438-2000.

The authorities have said those who voluntarily seek help will not be punished.

For those caught consuming and possessing Kpods, first-time offenders who are under 18 will be fined $500. Adults will be fined $700.

10-fold increase

Interest in vape rehabilitation programmes offered by addiction recovery centre We Care has spiked significantly since July.

We Care’s clinical director, Ms Tham Yuen Han, said that it previously received only about five inquiries per month on average. This rose to 49 inquiries between July 28 and Aug 27.

After the stiffer penalties were announced, the upward trend continued with 18 inquiries between Aug 28 and Sept 7.

Sana told ST on Sept 5 it has received six inquiries about Kpods since the Aug 28 announcement. It said more referral requests have also come in from other social service agencies.

Ms Nasirah Nasir, a senior social worker at Sana, said three clients have since joined its Kpod rehabilitation programme.

Ms Marie Yeo, a director at Fei Yue, said its agency received one or two inquiries from loved ones of vape users after Aug 28.

The calls to IMH, Sana, and We Care are also mostly from concerned family members of vape users, with most inquiries focusing on Kpod abuse.

Ms Nasirah added: “However, we anticipate an increase in direct requests for support from the users themselves.”

The only agency that said it did not see a significant increase in inquiries was THKMC, which operates five family service centres offering the programme.

However, its spokeswoman told ST on Sept 5 that it anticipates a rise in interest in anti-vaping rehabilitation programmes with the recent announcements.

Free counselling

Ms Nasirah of Sana said people typically ask for more details about the programme, such as its frequency and whether they need to pay for it.

The QuitVape programme offered by the five agencies is free for Singaporeans and permanent residents. According to

the Government’s Stop Vaping microsite

, the programme consists of four individual and two group counselling sessions.

The standardised programme helps vape users to identify triggers, discuss coping strategies and develop a relapse prevention plan, among other methods.

We Care’s Ms Tham said that of the 18 inquiries it received, 11 cases were registered to be followed up by its counsellors.

She said: “If they (the vape users) are with parents or relatives, the sessions are primarily to equip them with information on the tell-tale signs of addiction to Kpods, how to respond, where to seek help and what resources are available to them.”

To encourage the public to dispose of their vapes, red bins have been installed at the five agencies for this purpose.

MOH previously said the 

Bin The Vape initiative

, which ran from July 25 to Aug 31, received 6,000 vapes and components, which is equivalent to six full bins.

On top of QuitVape, Fei Yue has also introduced a programme to support young people under 21 who voluntarily seek help to quit vaping through sports.

Additionally, a seminar on how parents can help their children stay vape-free will be held on Sept 23 at the Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre.

The seminar, organised by Families for Life and also available online, includes a conversation with expert panellists from Fei Yue and IMH and a secondary school principal. Those interested can sign up at

https://go.gov.sg/ffl-beyondthebuzz

 

Fei Yue’s Ms Yeo said: “We encourage everyone, especially our young people, to reflect and prioritise their health.”

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