SINGAPORE: From Sep 1 to Sep 21, 656 people were caught for vape-related offences, including 44 who were confirmed to possess vapes laced with etomidate.
During these three weeks, 65 suspected etomidate abusers were caught, said the Ministry of Health (MOH) and Health Sciences Authority (HSA) in a press release on Saturday (Sep 27).
Laboratory tests confirmed that 44 of them had vapes containing etomidate, while 12 of the devices did not contain the drug. The test results for the remaining nine individuals are still pending.
Of the confirmed cases, three have started rehabilitation with the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) or Social Service Agencies (SSAs) under the Ministry of Social and Family Development’s Youth Enhanced Supervision Scheme programme.
Another 36 are expected to start their rehabilitation this week, while five others are still pending investigation.
Enhanced penalties for vaping offences came into effect on Sep 1.
