CCTV at vape bins to catch people trying to take vapes, not disposing them: Ong Ye Kung

With the new initiative "Bin the Vape", Minister of Health Ong Ye Kung clarified some frequently asked questions through a video.

In a Facebook video, Ong said the surveillance cameras at the red bins are not meant to identify those disposing of their e-vaporisers (or vapes), but instead to stop people from taking vapes out of the bin.

The "Bin the Vape" initiative was launched on Jul. 25 to encourage vape users to quit before the law catches up with them and dispose of their vapes.

The bins are located at 23 designated centres around Singapore.

The disposal bin is red and resembles a regular trash bin, and has posters of the initiative pasted on its front and top.

A CCTV camera is also placed towards the bin to deter theft and tampering.

The bin is locked and secured to fixtures such as pillars to ensure vapes are not retrievable once disposed.

However, the CCTV surveillance has sparked concerns about those who disposed of their vapes being identified.

Growing concern

Ong shared that vapes cannot be disposed of in regular bins, as one in three vapes contains controlled substances like etomidate, which should not be mixed with other trash.

Etomidate-laced vapes, also known as kpods or "zombie vapes", have become a growing concern in Singapore following several recent cases of unnatural behaviour and deaths.

The drug was found in the blood of two people involved in the fatal Punggol car crash on May 13, and is suspected to have been used by four teenagers seen acting strangely at Punggol Town Hall on Jun. 24.

When asked if the authorities would identify and trace individuals who use the bin, Ong said the authorities would not do so.

"We are really busy now trying to catch the distributors, the peddlers, the importers, and also setting up a much more stringent enforcement system," he explained.

"So, please just bin your vapes now."

In response to a question on whether someone can "fish" out the vapes from the bin using a fishing rod, Ong simply replied:

"That's what the CCTV is for."

Ong added that the bins are secured with locks and chained to either a pillar or a wall.

"I don't know how many vapes we will collect, and it doesn't quite matter. Through this exercise, we are sending the strong public message to give up your vapes before the new law comes into force."

Clamping down

On Jul. 30, Minister for Home Affairs K Shanmugam announced that the Ministry of Home Affairs is looking into possible new legislation to deal with etomidate and other similar substances.

The minister also said that the Ministry of Health (MOH) has asked his ministry to second officers to the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) to assist with the supervision, treatment, and rehab of etomidate abusers.

Just a week prior, Minister for Health Ong Ye Kung noted that the MOH will be working with MHA to list etomidate as a Class C drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act (MDA).

Speaking at the sidelines at the launch of edutainment web series “What Would You Do When Terror Strikes”, Shanmugam explained that listing etomidate under the MDA will allow for tougher enforcement measures.

"Abusers will no longer just be subject to (a) fine. They can be subject to mandatory supervision and rehabilitation regimes.

Those who import, sell, distribute etomidate-laced vapes can expect much stiffer penalties than today."

So long as Singaporeans support the government's policies and the government believes this is the right thing to do, Singapore will continue to take a tough line towards drug law enforcement, Shanmugam said.

Top photos via Ong Ye Kung/Facebook & Khoo Wen-en/Mothership