S'pore man, 26, allegedly smoked Kpods after being laid off, tried jumping off building with 5-year-old son

*The article has been updated with clarifications by the police*

After being laid off by his company last year, a 26-year-old man allegedly smoked etomidate-laced vapes.

He then tried to jump down a building twice while holding his five-year-old son.

Immense life pressure

The man's mother, Wang (not her real name), told Shin Min Daily News that he worked as a technician but was laid off from his job in June last year.

Wang, 58, said: "My son had to pay for a car and raise a five-year-old son, which put him under immense financial pressure."

She added that her son's friend introduced him to vapes and claimed they would help him sleep better, but he ended up becoming addicted to them.

She noted that his son initially smoked vapes but eventually smoked Kpods.

"Recently, his relationship with his wife has been strained, with frequent arguments over money, and they are currently in the process of divorcing," said Wang.

Although her son found a job two months later, he was unable to sleep in the morning due to working the night shift. He smoked Kpods at home and could smoke four or five a day. Each costs around S$85.

Smoking Kpods caused her son to lose control of his emotions and have an unsteady gait. He also banged his head against the wall many times.

Tried to jump twice

Last December, the man lost control again and asked Wang for money.

"We had an argument, and he then took my grandson to the hallway, grabbed a ladder, and tried to jump," she said.

Wang immediately yelled for help from her daughter, and though both of them tried to hold the man, he was very strong.

Wang added, "I also called on a male neighbour for help, and eventually the police arrived. My son was taken to the police station and released about an hour later."

Her son allegedly threatened to jump down the building again on Aug. 15. He had smoked vapes and asked for S$1,000, she said.

When Wang refused to give him the money, he again hugged his son and threatened to jump from the building.

She alleged that she called the police more than eight times, but every time she reported the incident to the authorities, she was asked to take photos of her son smoking vapes.

Recently, Wang found six cartridges but was afraid to take photos as she was afraid of getting beaten. She claimed that her son has a violent temper.

Hitting his young child

She often hides outside the police station with her grandson whenever her son is agitated and disoriented.

"I really didn't dare go home. I was terrified and lived in fear every day. I just hope my son can pull himself together and take good care of his grandson. I have no other requests," she said.

Wang added that her son allegedly beats her grandson at times, leaving him with bruises. Her grandson would tell her that his father beat him. Wang thinks it has scarred her grandson as he would cry and tremble every time.

Gambling

Wang, who has another son and daughter, told Shin Min Daily News that her son, who is addicted to etomidate-laced vapes, also developed a gambling habit and borrowed money from loan sharks.

She said her house is a jumbo HDB flat, and the loan sharks might have taken a liking to it.

She added: "My son also tried to persuade me to sell my flat, saying he wanted to buy a new flat with me. I refused to sell it, after all, my eldest son and daughter lived with me."

Wang alleged that her son has also abused her several times. "One time, my eldest son and daughter came home and saw me being beaten. They immediately stepped forward to stop it. As a result, the siblings started fighting, and after I shouted loudly, a neighbour called the police."

Wang said she has repaid over S$30,000 in loans for her son and still pays S$1,000 a month.

"He wasn't like this before, but after getting hooked on vapes, his personality completely changed. I'm really sad and helpless," she said.

Selling electronic cigarettes

Wang added that her son recently started selling e-cigarettes.

"Starting July this year, I noticed people coming to my son's house one after another. I felt something was wrong and suspected he was selling vapes. I even overheard a conversation between him and a friend last year. The source of the goods was smuggled in from Malaysia on motorcycles."

She said that her son likely had some stock as she had seen his friends come to "trade" several times.

Class C drug

Kpod substance etomidate will be listed in the Misuse of Drugs Act from Sep. 1, 2025, announced Minister for Health Ong Ye Kung on Aug. 24.

The drug will be listed as a Class C drug, meaning that it will be illegal to traffic, manufacture, import, export, possess, or consume etomidate without authorisation.

Ong previously said that under the Misuse of Drugs Act, 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.

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

Offenders who consume controlled drugs under the Misuse of Drugs Act may face a jail term of one to 10 years, and also a fine not exceeding S$20,000.

Repeated offenders will be given more severe punishments.

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong had also noted that the Singapore government will be taking much tougher action against vaping during his 2025 National Day Rally speech earlier in August.

Response by the police

The Police said they had received only two calls for assistance from the man’s family in Nov. 2024 and May 2025, due to suicidal intentions expressed by him, and disputes with his family members, respectively. On both occasions, the police responded, and he was referred to the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) for further assessment under Section 7(1) of the Mental Health Act. 

They said his family members did not disclose any incidents of violence or threats involving the 5-year-old child on either occasion.

His family members did not disclose to the police any incidents of violence or threats involving the 5-year-old child on either occasion.

Following the media reports, the police interviewed the parties again.

This led to the man’s arrest on the same day. After the arrest, some of the e-vaporisers in his possession were found to contain etomidate. 

The police and the Ministry of Social and Family Development worked together to ensure the swift removal of the child from the parents’ care.

MSF is now working with the child’s other family members to ensure the child’s safety and well-being while in alternative care.

Here's their full statement:

Helplines

If you or someone you know are in mental distress, here are some hotlines you can call to seek help, advice, or just a listening ear:

national mindline 1771: 1771

SOS 24-hour Hotline: 1-767

Singapore Association for Mental Health: 1800-283-7019

Tinkle Friend: 1800-274-4788 (for primary school-aged children)

SHECARES@SCWO: Call: 8001 01 4616 | WhatsApp: 6571 4400 (for targets of online harms)

Top photo via Shin Min Daily News