77 traffic accidents involved suspected drug or etomidate use between 2023 and 2025: Shanmugam

SINGAPORE – Between 2023 and 2025, there were 77 traffic accidents that involved drug or etomidate use.

Among these cases, 25 involved drug use, while the rest involved etomidate use, said Coordinating Minister for National Security K. Shanmugam in a written reply to a parliamentary question on Feb 3.

Two of the 77 cases involved both drug and etomidate use.

Etomidate is an anaesthetic that has been used in e-vaporisers, known as Kpods.

The Government introduced

tougher measures on Sept 1

to tackle the vaping scourge here. They include up to 15 strokes of the cane and a maximum of 20 years’ jail for Kpod suppliers.

Mr Shanmugam, who is also the Home Affairs Minister, was responding to a question from Ms Valerie Lee (Pasir Ris-Changi GRC), who asked if the Traffic Police (TP), as part of its standard protocol, assessed motorists involved in traffic accidents for vaping or drug use.

He said in the event of a traffic accident, TP will assess motorists for impaired driving.

“If TP suspects drug or etomidate use, a blood test will be required. Drivers may be liable for the offence of driving while under (the) influence,” he said.

He added that a first-time offender convicted of dangerous driving causing death while driving under the influence can face a jail term of up to 10 years, and be disqualified from driving for a minimum of 12 years.

In the past year, several traffic accidents involved drugs and vapes.

On Jan 6, a 23-year-old woman was jailed for 15 months and 25 weeks for crashing a rental car in Siloso Road on Sentosa on Oct 22, 2024. Police officers found

98 vape pods inside the vehicle

, which she claimed were for her personal consumption.

She was previously arrested on Aug 9, 2024, for a similar offence. Her urine tested positive for methamphetamine then.

On Aug 30, 2025, a car accident in Hougang Avenue 2 saw

two men being arrested over drug-related offences

. One of the drivers had a backpack of vapes in his vehicle. Police officers found a plastic bag containing a crystalline substance in the other car.

On May 13, 2025, a car driven by a man, who had a female passenger, collided with a bus in Punggol. The 28-year-old woman died and The Straits Times reported on July 25 that

etomidate was found in the man’s and woman’s blood

.

Police officers discovered 42 vapes and more than 1,200 pods in the vehicle, with some containing etomidate.

In a joint statement on Jan 29, the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) said a total of 3,534 people were

caught and fined for owning and using e-vaporisers

in anti-vape operations during the last four months of 2025.

Of these, 3,168 were vape offenders and the other 366 were Kpod abusers.

A total of 268 offenders have been placed in rehabilitation programmes, said MOH and HSA.

Of these, 211 were Kpod abusers and the other 57 were repeat offenders caught with vapes.

Those with information on the illegal advertising, import, distribution, sale or possession of vapes can contact HSA through its 

online reporting form

or call the Tobacco Regulation Branch on 6684-2036 or 6684-2037.

If you want to quit vaping, join the QuitVape programme or call the Health Promotion Board’s QuitLine on 1800-438-2000.

Those who voluntarily seek help will not face any penalties nor have an offence record for coming forward.