SINGAPORE – The first motorist to be charged with a traffic offence involving etomidate<\/span><\/a> was sentenced to five years and 18 months\u2019 jail and given 10 strokes of the cane on March 31. <\/p>\n He was also disqualified from holding a licence for five years after his release from prison. <\/p>\n While high on Kpods, Tung Jun Yu, 27, drove his car against the flow of traffic on Supreme Court Lane and straight through a traffic junction, where he collided with another car. <\/p>\n The Singaporean pleaded guilty to five charges including driving under the influence of a drug, dangerous driving, and drug trafficking.<\/p>\n The court heard Tung had been driving against the flow of traffic on Supreme Court Lane between 5.40pm and 6.30pm on July 14, 2025. The stretch of road is between the Supreme Court and the National Gallery Singapore.<\/p>\n In heavy traffic, he drove through a traffic junction on a right-turn-only lane, and collided with another car at Bras Basah Road. <\/p>\n Police officers found Tung with slurred speech, drooping eyelids and had delayed responses to their questions. He could not give a coherent account of how the accident occurred.<\/p>\n Although he tested negative on a breathalyser test, a blood analysis by the Health Sciences Authority detected etomidate in his blood sample.<\/p>\n In recent months, there have been several accidents caused by drivers who were under the influence of etomidate-laced vapes, also known as Kpods. At least two were fatal.<\/p>\n On May 13, 2025, etomidate was found in the blood samples of a 30-year-old man and a 28-year-old woman who were involved in a fatal accident along Punggol Road<\/span><\/a>. The woman died in hospital. <\/p>\n Police also discovered 42 e-vaporisers and more than 1,200 pods in the car, with some containing etomidate.<\/p>\n On Nov 8, 2025, Lim Jinsheng, 29, mounted a pavement and crashed into two elderly women,<\/span><\/a> killing one of them, an 83-year-old. The other woman, 84, suffered a fractured left hip and wrist.<\/p>\n This was Lim\u2019s fourth accident in less than five months. He was denied bail and will return to court on April 8. <\/p>\n From May 1, etomidate will be classified as a Specified Psychoactive Substance (SPS)<\/span><\/a> under the new Tobacco and Vaporisers Control Act. The penalties for offences involving such substances are similar to existing drug laws.<\/p>\n Those convicted of possessing, purchasing or consuming an SPS can be fined up to $20,000, jailed for up to 10 years, or both. <\/p>\n The new law also carries heavier penalties for vape users, who can be fined up to $10,000. Sellers can be handed fines of up to $200,000 and up to six years\u2019 jail.<\/p>\n Those caught smuggling vapes can be fined up to $300,000 and jailed for up to nine years. <\/p>\n <\/a> Currently, vape users face a maximum fine of $2,000, while distributors, importers and sellers of vapes and their components face jail time of up to six months and a fine of up to $10,000.<\/p>\n Those found guilty of driving under the influence of a drug can be fined between\u00a0$2,000 and $10,000, jailed for up to 12 months,\u00a0or both.<\/p>\n The penalty for dangerous driving is a fine of up to\u00a0$5,000, a jail term of up to 12 months,\u00a0or both.<\/p>\n In both instances, offenders can also be disqualified from driving all classes of vehicles.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/picture><\/div>\n