Students Face Suspension, Officials Face Dismissal... This Country Cracks Down on E-Cigarettes with $760 Fines

Singapore Responds to "Zombie Cigarette" Surge with Tough Measures
Harsher Penalties for Distributors, Heavy Fines for Regular E-Cigarette Use
"E-Cigarettes Have Become a Gateway to Drug Abuse"

As illegal e-cigarettes containing narcotic substances, commonly referred to as "zombie cigarettes," have been spreading, the Singapore government has significantly strengthened the punishment for distributors. In addition, the authorities have decided to impose heavy fines on users of regular e-cigarettes and to discipline public officials with measures up to dismissal.

The Singapore government has significantly strengthened the punishment for distributors as illegal e-cigarettes containing narcotic substances have been spreading.

According to Yonhap News Agency on August 28 (local time), citing the Singapore daily The Straits Times and Bloomberg News, the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Health, and Ministry of Education held a joint press conference and announced that these new e-cigarette measures will be implemented starting September 1.

First, the Singapore government has classified etomidate, an intravenous anesthetic known as the "second propofol" and used in narcotic e-cigarettes, as a Class C controlled drug. Previously, importing or distributing narcotic e-cigarettes containing etomidate was punishable by up to two years in prison. Now, the maximum penalty has been sharply increased to 20 years in prison and 15 strokes of the cane. Users can also face a fine of up to 700 Singapore dollars (approximately 760,000 won) and up to one year of probation.

For users of regular e-cigarettes, the maximum fine has been raised from 500 Singapore dollars (approximately 540,000 won) to 700 Singapore dollars. Upon a second offense, offenders will be required to undergo three months of rehabilitation, and a third offense will result in criminal prosecution and a fine of up to 2,000 Singapore dollars (approximately 2,160,000 won). If caught using e-cigarettes, in addition to judicial punishment, students will be suspended, public officials may be dismissed, and military personnel may face dismissal or detention as additional disciplinary actions. Foreign nationals who are caught multiple times may be banned from entering the country.

In recent years, "zombie cigarettes" have been entering Southeast Asian countries. Although Singapore banned the use of e-cigarettes in 2018, enforcement has been relatively weak. More than half of e-cigarette users in Singapore are under 30, one-third are under 18, and 80% of etomidate users are under 30. Last month, one out of every three e-cigarettes confiscated by authorities was found to contain etomidate. Minister of Health Ong Ye Kung explained, "E-cigarettes have become a gateway to very serious drug abuse."

Previously, on August 17, Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced in a national address that punishments related to e-cigarettes, including imprisonment, would be strengthened. Prime Minister Wong stated, "Until now, we have treated e-cigarettes like regular tobacco. At most, offenders received a fine, but that is no longer sufficient. We will now treat this as a drug issue and impose much stronger punishments."

In South Korea, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety announced on August 12 an amendment to the Enforcement Decree of the Narcotics Control Act, designating etomidate and similar substances as controlled drugs. Etomidate had been classified as a drug of concern for misuse since 2020, but continued problems such as illegal administration or misuse as a substitute for propofol in some medical institutions led to its designation as a controlled drug. Once designated as a controlled drug, all stages from importation to administration are subject to mandatory reporting, enabling real-time government monitoring.