Etomidate-laced vapes soon to be listed as illegal drugs, offenders may face jail term & caning

The Ministry of Health (MOH) will be working with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to list etomidate as a Class C drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act, said Minister for Health Ong Ye Kung.

This is part of the government's interim measure to address the growing problem of e-vaporisers, also known as vapes, laced with etomidate.

Under the Misuse of Drugs Act, Ong said that offenders will be treated "not differently" from those who consume drugs like cannabis or cocaine.

This means that those found with vapes laced with etomidate will be subject to supervision and undergo mandatory rehabilitation. Repeated offenders will be prosecuted and this means facing jail terms.

While it will take a few weeks to put the new legislation into effect, Ong urges those who are consuming etomidate-laced vapes to give it up now, as it is very harmful.

MOH will also work with the MHA to step up enforcement.

For Class C drugs, offenders involved in trafficking may face a minimum of two years imprisonment & two strokes of the cane.

Offenders who consume controlled drugs under the Misuse of Drugs Act may face a jail term of not less than one year but not more than 10 years and also a fine not exceeding S$20,000. Repeated offenders will be meted with more severe punishments.

A serious problem that causes deaths

Ong said at the doorstop that the government recognises the gravity of this issue, as there's a strong suspicion that etomidate-laced vapes are linked to deaths.

Etomidate-laced vapes are implicated in deaths from traffic accident and unnatural deaths, and investigations are ongoing, Ong said.

Tests were conducted on over 100 seized vapes on random, and one out of three vapes were found to be etomidate-laced.

Stories were also shared by members of the public which illustrated the harm that etomidate-laced vapes can cause.

Government agencies to fundamentally review legislation to tackle vaping situation

In response to a question on whether the government should treat all vapes like any other drugs classified under the Misuse of Drugs Act, Ong explained that the Misuse of Drugs Act is not suitable as an e-vaporiser is a delivery device, which can be used for a range of substances.

If an e-vaporiser carries nicotine, it will be enforced under the Tobacco Control Act, for example, where sellers may face jail terms while users may get fined.

However, e-vaporisers are no longer used for the delivery of nicotine but also other substances like etomidate, which Ong emphasises is a serious problem.

Therefore, classifying etomidate as a Class C drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act is an interim measure and a more thorough review of the legislation will be required to tackle the vaping situation.

"So it is an interim measure because we will need to work with other agencies to really fundamentally review our existing legislation and be able to strengthen our legislation to tackle this situation, which is a new one," Ong said.

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Top photos via Aiman Nadzri/Mothership &  MOH & HSA