Copyright channelnewsasia
SINGAPORE: There has been a declining trend of vapes containing etomidate that have been seized by authorities since the anaesthetic agent was classified as a Class C controlled drug, the Ministry of Health (MOH) and Health Sciences Authority (HSA) jointly said on Friday (Nov 7) Random surveillance testing conducted by HSA found that the proportion of vapes containing etomidate, also known as Kpods, fell from about one-third of every 100 seized samples in July to 12 per cent in August. After harsher penalties for vapes took effect on Sep 1, the proportion of Kpods dropped further to 9 per cent that month, MOH and HSA said. Between Sep 1 and Nov 2, 1,929 people were caught for vape-related offences, of whom 167 were found to be in possession of Kpods. Among the 167 offenders, 108 have been placed in rehabilitation programmes at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) and social services agencies. Another 33 of them are pending further investigations or interviews, while six are awaiting placement in a programme. The remaining 20 will not be placed in a programme. Six are foreigners pending repatriation, while the other 14 are in jail for offences unrelated to vapes. “Of those placed on rehabilitation, 105 have been compliant with their rehabilitation programme, while three etomidate abusers failed to attend their first rehabilitation appointments,” said MOH and HSA. Separately, 13 reoffenders have been placed in a Health Promotion Board (HPB) rehabilitation programme. Eleven of them have been compliant with their programme, while two have failed to attend their first appointments. Three people - two women and a man - have been charged in relation to etomidate-linked offences after they failed to attend or complete their rehabilitation appointments. Another man, who also failed to attend or complete his rehabilitation appointments, will be charged over vaping-related offences on Nov 11. The maximum penalty for etomidate offenders is a fine of up to S$10,000 (US$7,680) and imprisonment for up to two years, and a fine of up to S$2,000 for e-vaporiser offenders. "Abusers who fail to report for interviews and rehabilitation will be liable for prosecution," said MOH and HSA.
