Singapore is turning up the heat on vaping (especially drug-laced “K-pods”) with a sweeping crackdown that affects residents, visitors, and even transiting passengers.

Singapore’s New Vaping Rules: Fines, Caning, Deportation, and Jail Time

Vaping has been banned in Singapore since 2018, but starting September 1, 2025, enforcement is being dramatically stepped up. The government is responding to a surge in vapes laced with etomidate, known locally as “K-pods,” after tests revealed the anesthetic in one-third of confiscated samples. In response, etomidate has been reclassified as a Class C drug, triggering much harsher penalties.

• Possession & Use (Regular Vapes): Adults face a S$700 fine, youths under 18 pay S$500, and repeat offenders may face up to S$2,000 in fines, up to 10 years in prison, and mandatory rehabilitation.
• Etomidate Vapes (K-pods): Users may face fines, up to six months rehabilitation, and criminal charges. Importers risk 3–20 years in prison plus 5–15 cane strokes, while distributors face 2–10 years in jail plus 2–5 strokes of the cane.
• Foreigners & Pass Holders: Travel pass holders (short- or long-term) can lose their passes, be deported, and permanently banned from re-entering after multiple offences. Transit passengers entering via Changi may be subject to confiscation and local fines.
• Schools, Workplaces, & Uniformed Services: Students face detention, suspension, caning (boys), loss of scholarships, or expulsion. Civil servants risk dismissal and demotion, while SAF personnel may face penal costs under military law.

Public and high-visibility enforcement features prominently. Changi Airport is installing vape-disposal bins and issuing frequent transit announcements. Schools are deploying saliva test kits, and authorities are expanding campus patrols and community education campaigns like the “Don’t Toy With Your Life” initiative.

How This Impacts Travel

I mentioned above that there will be amnesty bins at Singapore Changi International Airport (SIN). I would take those seriously…

In Singapore, you go through security screening at the gate of your flight. Transiting passengers who never even enter Singapore may still face fines (or worse) simply for possessing vapes when transiting from one flight to another. Don’t risk it…dump the vape.

Health Minister Ong Ye Kung warned, “Now you have to listen to quite a few announcements. Drugs are very serious. Chewing gum is not allowed. And vapes, please dump them.”

But Singapore’s Home Affairs Minister Kasiviswanathan (“K.”) Shanmugam explained that going after transit passengers may not be a top priority:

“But if you are an abuser, and you are transiting through Singapore, and we notice… A question we’ll have to assess is, how much resources do we want to expend by arresting you, bringing you in(to) Singapore and then giving you rehabilitation? We’ll have to take a sensible approach on these things.”

But that doesn’t mean you should tempt fate by disregarding clear rules (as Kung mentioned, PA announcements in SIN will also remind passengers of the new rule).

CONCLUSION

Singapore’s crackdown transforms vaping from a health issue into a full-blown drug enforcement priority. The message is unambiguous whether you’re local, a visitor, or just transiting. If you’re thinking of carrying a vape device to or through Singapore, this should be your wake-up call…I’ll not comment whether I think this is sound public policy, but if it were going to come from any nation, it is no surprise it is coming from Singapore.

Hat Tip: One Mile At A Time