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Singaporeans who vape have been making a beeline for vape shops in Johor Bahru now that land borders have reopened, The Straits Times reported on April 16.

This was after its reporter paid a visit to one shop there and found Singaporeans buying vape past midnight on Friday, April 15, a public holiday in Singapore.

Vape shops galore in JB

A quick online search shows vape shops in Johor Bahru are openly listed with photos, with many boasting favourable reviews from locals and foreigners.

ST reported that there are about 30 of them in the city centre alone.

Singaporeans mainly patronise half of them.

The shop that ST visited, which was not named, was reported as being located on the first floor of a house approximately 15 minutes from the Causeway.

It has been operating since before the pandemic as it was opened about a decade ago.

The price is one-third of what it costs to buy vape, also known as e-cigarettes, illegally in Singapore.

Singaporeans can spend some RM300 (S$95.40) during each visit, ST reported.

Novel experience

Singaporeans interviewed said they go to Johor Bahru to patronise vape stores for the novelty of the experience due to the absence of such commercial entities in Singapore and because it is cheap and convenient.

One Singaporean said: "Singaporeans go to the vape shops in different countries for this experience."

They also insist they buy vape for personal consumption.

Those interviewed also said they believed vaping has been banned in Singapore due to the difficulty of taxing the products.

Many vape shops in Johor Bahru operate out of residential premises and are in a legally grey area.

The sale of liquids containing nicotine has been banned in Malaysia since 2015, but the sale and use of the vape device and vape liquids without nicotine do not fall foul of the law.

Malaysia is working on laws to regulate and tax the sale of vape liquids containing nicotine, instead of banning it outright.

Vaping illegal in Singapore

Vaping involves a device vaporising a liquid via a heating element, and inhaling the vapours.

Vaping poses significant health risks, Singapore's health authorities have warned repeatedly.

Singapore banned the use and sale of e-cigarettes in February 2018.

The act of buying, using and possessing an e-cigarette can result in a maximum fine of S$2,000.

It is illegal to import, distribute or sell imitation tobacco products, including e-cigarettes and their accessories.

The penalty is a jail term of up to six months and a S$10,000 fine, with the sentence doubled for repeat offenders.

However, in Singapore, vaping paraphernalia are still sold on messaging platform Telegram.

The public can submit an online report to the Health Sciences Authority or call the Tobacco Regulation Branch on 6684-2036 or 6684-2037 with information on the illegal importation, distribution or sale of such items.

Top photos via Google Maps