S’porean boy, 15, who vaped gets 2 years in Boys’ Home, mum tells police ‘my son is going crazy’

A 15-year-old boy in Singapore vaped till his mother called the police on him.

He was ordered to spend two years' in a boys' home.

The boy was dealt with on Jul. 21 after pleading guilty to 12 charges, as reported in The Straits Times on Oct. 3.

His charges included those of voluntarily causing hurt, harassing a public servant, possessing a vape and shop theft.

District Judge Amy Tung ordered that he spend time in the juvenile rehabilitation centre at the Singapore Boys' Home, after deeming probation to be unsuitable for him.

As the boy is below 18 years of age, his identity is protected under the Children and Young Persons Act.

"My son is going crazy."

Citing court documents, ST reported that on May 1, the boy's mother called the police, saying that "[her] son is going crazy".

Upon arriving, the mother showed the two responding police officers a vape and said that her son had been behaving abnormally since using it.

Shouted at one of the police officers

According to ST, when one of the officers asked the boy to sit down, the boy shouted at him instead.

Later, when the officer insisted that paramedics examine the boy after noticing cuts on his legs, the boy refused and became aggressive, hurling vulgarities at the officer.

Court documents did not state if he was arrested that day.

Had punched another boy

The boy's offences extended beyond vaping.

On Mar. 5, he and his friend, who was identified in court as T, met another boy, V, to use Kpods, which are vapes laced with etomidate, together, ST reported.

However, a fight ensued when V did not lend T his Kpod.

The boy and T punched and kicked V multiple times, causing him to fall to the ground.

According to Deputy Public Prosecutor Kamen Chiang, the boy and T only stopped assaulting V when he bled from his mouth and nose, leaving him with a lip contusion and a nasal bone fracture.

The two then proceeded to ask V if he had any valuables on him and searched his pockets.

They also threatened to slash V with a karambit knife if he did not cooperate.

They later fled after taking V's Kpod.

Committed shop theft

The boy also committed several shop thefts between 2023 and 2024, as reported in ST.

In June 2023, he stole four packets of Kinder Bueno chocolates from a supermarket.

A month later, he shoplifted a bottle of perfume worth S$140.

In 2024, he stole a pair of white socks worth S$5.90 and a gaming mouse valued at S$189 from shops at Nex.

Assaulted yet another boy

In July 2023, the boy and several of his friends attacked a 13-year-old boy at a staircase landing in a multi-storey carpark after hearing that the victim had insulted them.

They repeatedly punched, kicked and pushed the victim on his face and torso, and also slammed the victim's head against the ground and wall, leaving him unconscious for around 10 minutes.

The victim later vomited twice when he woke up and sustained injuries to his ear, knee, chest and stomach.

The victim's aunt reported the incident to the police.

Judge cited lack of family support

ST reported that Tung noted that the boy's father is currently in prison and his parents are divorced. His mother has sole custody, care and control of him.

According to Tung, even if the father had remained involved in the boy's life after the divorce, he would not have been able to support the mother in supervising him.

The boy's mother had also expressed her helplessness in managing her son's behaviour at home.

Tung added that there were no appropriate family members who could help the boy and his mother.

"The lack of strong familiar support and supervision does not bode well for a smooth and successful probation journey for (the boy)."

As such, she concluded that it would be in the boy's best interests if he were placed in a juvenile rehabilitation centre, where he could receive proper guidance and supervision from professionals and youth case workers.

Stiffer penalties for vaping

From Sep. 1, the Singapore government imposed stiffer penalties for vaping.

First-time offenders will be handed a notice of composition (NOC), or fine without prosecution, of S$500 for individuals under 18, and S$700 for those 18 and above, up from S$300 and S$500 previously.

Second-time offenders will be required to attend a three-month rehabilitation programme under the Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) Act (TCASA).

Those who persist in offending after the second strike may be prosecuted in court, where they could face a maximum fine of S$2,000.

Members of the public with information on illegal vaping can submit reports via go.gov.sg/reportvape or call HSA's Tobacco Regulation Branch hotline at 66842036 or 66842037.

Top photos via Canva, Mothership