What are Kpods? Why Singapore is raising penalties and adding caning
Singapore is tightening its anti-vaping laws and introducing tougher penalties, including caning in some cases, as authorities move to stamp out Kpods, a type of vape believed to be laced with the anaesthetic drug etomidate.
New rules passed on March 6 are expected to take effect from May 1 under the renamed Tobacco and Vaporisers Control Act, which strengthens enforcement against vaping and Kpods. Vaping has been banned in Singapore since 2018, but officials say the problem has worsened, with reports of Kpod users suffering seizures and behaving like “zombies”.
Under the changes, adults who involve young people or vulnerable persons in smuggling or supplying Kpods face up to 20 years in jail and up to 15 strokes of the cane. Adults who possess a Kpod and fail to try to prevent a young person from using it can be jailed for up to 10 years.
The law also places new duties on entertainment venues such as bars and clubs to stop patrons from vaping and require them to discard their devices. Venues will be allowed to eject patrons who refuse.
At border checkpoints, drivers found with vapes in their vehicles will also face tighter rules, with the burden shifting to them to prove they did not know the devices were there.
Penalties have been raised sharply across offences. Vape users can now be fined up to $10,000, while sellers face fines of up to $200,000 and up to six years’ jail. Smugglers can be fined up to $300,000 and jailed for up to nine years.
The new laws follows concern about drug-laced vapes. In July 2025, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said authorities were working to list etomidate under the Misuse of Drugs Act after one in three seized vapes was found to be a Kpod. The Health Sciences Authority later extended hotline hours and added an online reporting form for vaping offences.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
