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Tag: SIngapore

  • Singapore May Strengthen Laws as Drug-Laced Vapes Surge

    Singapore May Strengthen Laws as Drug-Laced Vapes Surge

    The Singapore government is considering tightening vaping laws in response to a sharp rise in cases of e-vaporizers containing controlled substances like etomidate, the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Ministry of Home Affairs said. In the first half of 2025, 28 cases of e-vape pods containing etomidate — nearly three times the number found in all of 2024 — were detected, raising concerns about public health and drug misuse.

    Etomidate, a regulated anesthetic, has been found illegally in vape products designed for inhalation. The ministries warned of serious side effects, including muscle spasms, seizures, confusion, and potential physical dependence.

    Vaping has been banned in Singapore since 2018, with penalties of up to S$2,000 ($1,560) for use or possession, and up to S$10,000 ($7,800) or six months in jail for sellers and importers. Authorities are now reviewing whether existing legislation provides sufficient enforcement powers and are coordinating efforts across numerous agencies. Over S$41 million ($32 million) worth of illegal vapes were seized from January 2024 to March 2025.

  • Men Jailed Over Failed Plot to Steal $5M in Seized Vapes

    Men Jailed Over Failed Plot to Steal $5M in Seized Vapes

    Lim Zhi Wei was sentenced to 27 months in jail and fined S$2,400 ($1,872) for his role in a failed plan to steal more than S$6.5 million ($5.1 million) worth of confiscated vape devices and related components from a secured warehouse in Singapore.

    Deputy Public Prosecutor Nicole Teo said Lim’s actions were part of a wider conspiracy involving multiple individuals attempting to retrieve the seized contraband. Lim pleaded guilty to obstructing justice, as well as several unrelated charges, including drug consumption, criminal breach of trust, and receiving S$10,000 ($7,800) in scam proceeds through his bank account.

    Lim was offered S$20,000 ($15,600) by alleged ringleader Chua Wee Ming to break into the unit, which contained over 540,000 vaping-related items previously seized from Chua’s alleged smuggling syndicate by the Health Sciences Authority (HSA). Lim brought along a 23-year-old accomplice, Elvin Suriaganandhan, and the two began surveilling the property on March 26, 2024, before being stopped by HSA officers.

    Lim’s sentencing follows that of Chee Wai Yuen, who was jailed last week for 15 months after attempting an earlier reconnaissance mission at the same warehouse.

    Chua recruited Chee in March 2023 to check if the unit was guarded, but Chee was intercepted by HSA officers. He was found with ketamine and methamphetamine, fled Singapore while on bail by hiding in a lorry, and was later arrested in Malaysia and extradited in October 2023.

    Chua, the central figure allegedly behind the smuggling ring and theft plan, remains in custody, his case pending.

  • Singapore’s Vape Crackdown Seized $31M in Products

    Singapore’s Vape Crackdown Seized $31M in Products

    Between January 2024 and March 2025, nearly 18,000 people were cited for possession and use of vapes in Singapore after authorities stepped up enforcement efforts, local officials said. The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) and the Ministry of Health said that e-vaporizers and related components worth more than S$41 million ($31.6 million) were seized over that span.

    Those guilty of having vape products can be fined up to S$2,000 ($1,540), while those who import or distribute can be fined up to S$10,000 ($7,700) and/or jailed for up to six months for a first offense.

    Those facing more serious charges include two people linked to an e-vaporizer syndicate case that involved more than S$5 million ($3.9 million) worth of the devices.

  • Young Asians Moving from Cigarettes to Vape

    Young Asians Moving from Cigarettes to Vape

    Young people in Southeast Asia are moving from smoking cigarettes to vaping and heated tobacco products (HTPs) instead, a survey of consumer research and data analytics from Milieu Insight said. It surveyed more than 18,000 legal-age adults across Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Indonesia, studying their consumption trends, flavor preferences, purchase channels, reasons for use, and future adoption.

    “The study shows some key factors influencing this trend,” said Gerald Ang, Milieu Insight’s chief operating officer. “One key factor is the variety of flavor, with fruit and menthol flavor dominating consumer choice in alternative nicotine products.

    “E-cigarettes and heated tobacco products being ‘cheaper’ is also an important reason for using alternative nicotine products.”

    Even though Singapore has banned the use of alternative nicotine products, they are still prevalent among people aged 21 to 29, the survey found, with 7.8% in that age group use vapes and HTPs, while 5.7% smoke cigarettes. The study also found that in Singapore, 43% bought these products from online shopping and messaging platforms, 29% bought the alternative nicotine products from friends and family, and 19% bought them on social media platforms.

    Ang said the study shows that e-cigarette and HTP use in the region is expected to grow, as a sizeable portion of smokers indicated that they were likely to use alternative nicotine products in the next six months.

    In Vietnam, which has also banned these alternative nicotine products, 9.2% of people in the 25 to 34 age bracket are vaping. And in Malaysia, 14.8% of young people between 20 and 29 are using e-cigarettes and HTPs.

  • Singapore Vaping up Despite Ban

    Singapore Vaping up Despite Ban

    Photo: Kalyakan

    Singaporeans are smoking less but vaping more, reports The Straits Times, citing research by Milieu Insight.

    The average number of cigarettes smoked per week fell from 72 sticks in the third quarter of 2021 to 56 in the fourth quarter of 2023.

    Over the same period, consumption of alternative products like e-cigarettes and vaporizers increased from 3.9 percent to 5.2 percent of the population.

    Milieu Insight attributes the gradual decline in cigarettes smoked per week observed since the second quarter of 2022 in part to an increase in proportion of occasional smokers as compared to regular smokers over this period.

    Conducted from Dec. 16 to Dec. 29, 2023, the survey found that the proportion of occasional smokers had increased by 1.2 percentage points to 3.2 percent, from the third quarter of 2021 to the last quarter of 2023. There was also an increase in the number of former smokers over the same period.

    Vaporizers and e-cigarettes have been outlawed in Singapore. Among the reasons cited for their vaping, respondents said they wanted to reduce secondhand smoke and lessen their consumption of traditional cigarettes. The World Health Organization, however, has rejected the products as a cessation aid.

    In December 2023, Singapore’s Ministry of Health and the Health Sciences Authority announced that they were stepping up enforcement and education efforts against vaping to prevent it from gaining a foothold in Singapore.

  • Singapore to Strengthen Vaping Enforcement

    Singapore to Strengthen Vaping Enforcement

    Photo: 2p2play

    Singapore plans to intensify its crackdown on vaping, reports The Straits Times.

    In a joint statement in December 2023, the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) and the Ministry of Health said enforcement and education efforts would be stepped up to prevent vaping from gaining a foothold in Singapore.

    The city state banned vaping in 2018. Buying, owning or using a vaporizer in Singapore can result in fines of up to SGS2,000 ($1,484.69). First-time offenders who import, distribute, sell or offer for sale vaporizers and their components can be fined up to SGD10,000, jailed for up to six months, or both.

    Authorities encourage citizens with information on the illegal possession, use, purchase, import, distribution, sale or offer for sale of vaporizers to the Tobacco Regulation Branch.

    Despite the risks, vaping has been steadily gaining ground in Singapore, with consumers buying vapes online and from overseas suppliers. In 2022, 4,916 people were violating Singapore’s vaping ban, compared with 1,266 in 2020 and 4,697 in 2021. In December 2023 alone, authorities reported  1,656 vaping -related cases.

  • Taxes had ‘No Impact’ on Singapore’s Vape Ban

    Taxes had ‘No Impact’ on Singapore’s Vape Ban

    The Singapore government said that the potential loss in revenue from tobacco tax was not a factor in its decision to ban the use of e-cigarettes in 2018.

    In his reply to a question by a Workers’ Party and Sengkang member of Parliament, Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, who is also the Minister for Finance, said, “The Government’s decision to ban the use of e-cigarettes in 2018 was based on public health considerations, to protect our population from the harms of these products. The potential loss in tobacco tax revenue from the reduced consumption of tobacco products was not a factor in this decision.”

    … our priority is to protect the health of our population and prevent e-cigarettes from causing harm to our people, especially to younger Singaporeans.”

     

    Lawrence Wong

    Wong added that if the government were to legalize and tax e-cigarettes “the challenges would be similar to those we encounter for cigarettes and other tobacco products today,” according to a Yahoo news report.

    “In any case, the government has no plans to change our current approach, as our priority is to protect the health of our population and prevent e-cigarettes from causing harm to our people, especially to younger Singaporeans,” he said.

  • Singapore Cracks Down on Travelers With Vapes

    Singapore Cracks Down on Travelers With Vapes

    Image: monticellllo

    Singapore authorities will step up checks at air, land and sea checkpoints to prevent e-cigarettes from entering the city state, reports the South China Morning Post.

    “Incoming passengers may be screened for e-vaporizers and their components at the arrival halls, and those found with e-vaporizers or their components will be fined,” said the Ministry of Health and the Health Sciences Authority in a media release.

    Vaping is illegal in Singapore, and offenders can be fined up to SGD2,000 ($1,490). Those who import, distribute or sell such products face stiffer penalties, including a possible jail term.

    Despite the ban, the number of people caught using and possessing vapes has been rising, including among underage consumers.

    Apart from the border checkpoints, checks will be stepped up at places such as the central business district, shopping centers, parks and smoking areas as well as public entertainment outlets such as bars and clubs.

    Since Dec. 1, enforcement officers from the National Environment Agency have been empowered to take action against people who use or own vapes.

    Singapore authorities said that their multi-agency approach is aimed at protecting its population.

    The World Health Organization said last week that urgent action is needed to control e-cigarettes to protect children and nonsmokers.

  • Stepping Up

    Stepping Up

    Zilong presented its Marskiss heat-not-burn product at TabExpo in Bologna.
    (Photo: Taco Tuinstra)

    Newcomer Marskiss aims to offer heated-tobacco consumers an improved user experience.

    By Stefanie Rossel

    Since their introduction to the market less than a decade ago, sales of heated-tobacco products (HTPs) have grown remarkably. Market research companies are outdoing each other in their forecasts for the category. Reportlinker, for example, valued the global HTP market at $22.36 billion in 2022 and expects it to reach $25.89 billion this year. The market is anticipated to increase at a compound annual growth rate of 15.9 percent to reach $72.86 billion by 2030. Euromonitor expects HTPs to cement their place at the head of the vapor growth category, with significant growth in Japan, South Korea, Russia, Italy, Germany, Poland, the U.S. and Ukraine.

    The global HTP market is dominated by four large players—Philip Morris International, which pioneered the category with its IQOS device; BAT, which competes with its Glo brand; Japan Tobacco International, known for its Ploom product; and KT&G with its Lil series.

    Inspired by the success in the segment of their larger counterparts, many smaller manufacturers have also entered the market. One of them is Singapore-based business Zilong. Driven by its desire to design a safe and good-flavored HTP, the company spent more than 10 years developing Marskiss before debuting the product in 2021 at the WT Middle East exhibition in Dubai and, more recently, showcasing it at TabExpo 2023 in Bologna.

    To understand how Marskiss differs from other HTPs, it’s helpful to examine the company’s background. Zilong was founded by Zhan Baoming, who has worked China’s tobacco industry since 1991 and also owns a cigarette flavoring company. Zhan has been in tobacco harm reduction since 2000. The knowledge he acquired about tar reduction and aroma enhancement laid a solid foundation for the creation of Zilong’s HTP product, according to Zhan. “My goal is to make a good HTP product that is low in tar while satisfying in tobacco aroma,” he says.

    One Marskiss stick provides users with the same level of satisfaction as two or three sticks of other HTP brands, according to Zilong. (Photo: Taco Tuinstra)

    Longer Lasting Aroma

    The nature and treatment of the tobacco makes all the difference, explains Zhan. “Our product uses high-quality natural tobacco as a carrier for our ‘aroma precursors,’ which is a featured technology of our product. At present, most HTP products on the market use food liquid fragrances to produce tobacco aroma. However, the resistance of food liquid fragrances to high temperature is weak, and the fragrances will be denatured and volatilized quickly with the increase of temperature, resulting in a shorter retention time of tobacco aroma. How to prolong the retention time of tobacco aroma? After years of research, our technical team found that natural tobacco and aromatic plants can be processed in a special procedure to obtain a comprehensive aroma, which produces fragrances of more lasting retention. This is what we call ‘the aroma precursor.’ The aroma precursor has much less impurity and more full-bodied, consistent and lasting tobacco flavor.”

    According to Zhan, Marskiss sticks feature more advanced moisturizing technology than other HTPs, which makes their aerosols purer and fresher. Among other benefits, this prevents users from experiencing a dry mouth, which is a common problem associated with HTPs. To keep the moisturized tobacco fresh, Zilong has developed a special stick construction that includes a storage chamber for the tobacco and a more efficient filtering technique.

    “The paper tube of our product has two layers—an outer layer and an inner layer—and we choose natural porous material as the inner layer coating to build a storage environment similar to a ceramic pot, which can capture the moisture from the tobacco section and keep it inside the tube so that the tobacco section will not become dry after the package has been opened for a period of time,” says Zhan.

    The patented chamber lets the tobacco age naturally with storage, according to Zilong, which will result in a better taste. What’s more, the filter section of each Marskiss stick features a ball array filtration system so that the aerosol passes through a curved path formed between the gap in the ball array. “After layer upon layer [of] filtration, the aerosol becomes fresher and purer,” explains Zhan.

    Marskiss sticks feature advanced moisturizing technology that keeps aerosols pure and fresh. Among other benefits, this prevents users from experiencing dry mouth. (Image: Zilong)

    More Satisfying

    Zilong claims its technology enables one Marskiss stick to provide users with the same level of satisfaction as two or three sticks of other HTP brands. By using lower, more balanced levels of nicotine salts, Marskiss also helps users avoid headaches associated with excessive nicotine salts.

    Marskiss tobacco sticks come in five flavors and are matched by a device with a pre-heating time of 20 seconds that allows for 18 puffs or five minutes of use, which is about four puffs more than other brands. Initially, Zilong intends to launch Marskiss with blade heating technology. Down the road, the device will also be available with pin heating technology. “It is light-weight, slim and slick, and portable, and more importantly, it is a perfect match with our stick product that can heat the sticks to give the best experiences to users,” says Zhan.

    In combination with the sticks’ patented filtering technology, the device reduces throat irritation and reduced dust to lungs, according to Zilong.

    The company has invested €15 million ($16.25 million) in Marskiss so far. In preparation for launch, Zilong has started identifying markets and partners. According to Zhan, the product has performed well in consumer trials. “We have done several rounds of consumer testing in different markets and basically, we get pretty positive feedback from users, including distinctive and lasting tobacco aroma, no bad smell in mouth and room so that people around them do not object them from using our product, and no headache or coughing after using,” he says.

    “We hope to tackle the pain points of the smokers, and we are committed to making the best [heat-not-burn] product,” says Zhan. “Please stay tuned for updates.”

    Stefanie Rossel is Tobacco Reporter’s editorial contributor. An experienced trade journalist, she combines sharp reporting skills with in-depth knowledge of the tobacco and vapor industries. Prior to joining Tobacco Reporter, Stefanie was editor-in-chief at Tobacco Journal International, where she worked for a decade. Fluent in English, German and French, Stefanie covers tobacco news around the world. She is based in Germany.
  • ‘BAT North Korea Trade Was Legal in Singapore’

    ‘BAT North Korea Trade Was Legal in Singapore’

    Image: Andy

    British American Tobacco’s Singaporean affiliate did not break local laws when it sold cigarette components to North Korea, despite receiving a multi-million dollar fine in the U.S. for flouting North Korean sanctions, reports The Straits Times.

    In April, BAT and its indirect subsidiary in Singapore agreed to pay U.S. authorities $635.24 million plus interest to resolve investigations into suspicions of sanctions breaches concerning business activities relating to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea between 2007 and 2017.

    North Korea is subject to sanctions by the United Nations and individual countries for developing nuclear weapons, money laundering and human rights violations, among other activities.

    According to the Straits Times, Singapore authorities became aware in 2018 that BAT Marketing Singapore was involved in selling cigarette components to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), but stopped sales since June 2017—five months before Singapore implemented the UN sanctions.

    The authorities concluded that the company did not breach Singapore’s UN regulations. “The trade of cigarette components with the DPRK was not prohibited under our laws at that time,” the city’s police were quoted as saying by the Straits Times.

    Today, trade sanctions against North Korea make it a crime for anyone in Singapore, as well as Singapore citizens based overseas, to supply, sell or transfer designated export items to anyone in North Korea, whether directly or indirectly.

    Those found guilty of doing so can be fined up to SGD100,000 ($75,473) or three times the value of the goods that were dealt with, whichever is greater. They can also be jailed for up to two years or both.