Singapore's crackdown on vape products has continued with the island nation imposing tough new punishments for violators, including jail time and caning, the BBC reported.
Under the new rules, foreigners caught with vape devices could face deportation from the famously anti-drug country.
"The Government is taking tougher actions against vaping," a government website said. "We will impose much stiffer penalties and step up nationwide enforcement."
Though Singapore officially has banned vapes since 2018, previous penalties were not as severe and were not broadly enforced, per the BBC.
However, with authorities saying that one in three vapes have been found to contain the anesthetic etomidate, the government has instituted harsher punishments.
Authorities in Singapore increasingly have viewed vapes as "delivery devices" for drugs and have warned that "vapes have become a gateway for very serious substance abuse," in the words of Ong Ye Kung, the health minister, as reported by the BBC.
Even users of non-tainted vapes could face fines of up to $380 and mandatory drug rehabilitation, according to the BBC.
Those caught selling illegal vape products could be jailed for up to 20 years and subjected to as many as 15 lashes of the cane, per the BBC.
"Due to its harmful effects, persons who vape etomidate may walk unsteadily, appear to be in a daze and unaware of their surroundings," the government website said.
According to a study published in 2024, etomidate is "an ultrashort-acting non-barbiturate sedative" that "exerts potent inhibitory effects on the central nervous system."
Users have described the effects of etomidate as being similar to those of ketamine, leading to the nickname "Kpods" for etomidate-laced vapes, the BBC reported.
"Chronic overdose of etomidate can result in irreversible brain damage and various mental disorders," warned the authors of the study. "Severe cases may manifest as mental disturbances, behavioral disorders, self-mutilation and even death."
Even vape products that contain "only" nicotine pose a significant risk to human health.
"Most e-cigarettes contain nicotine, which is highly addictive and is a health danger for pregnant women, developing fetuses, and youth," cautioned the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Vapes also can contain dangerous, cancer-causing chemicals and tiny particles, which can be inhaled deep into the lungs and cause significant damage, according to the CDC.
Beyond the health risks, vapes also cause significant environmental harm.
Vapes often have lithium-ion batteries, toxic heavy metals like mercury and lead, and chemical fire retardants, all of which can leach into soil and water, according to a 2023 study published in the Tobacco Prevention & Cessation journal.
Further, the lithium-ion batteries in discarded vapes can spark fires in garbage bins, dumpsters, and waste-disposal sites. In the U.K. alone, discarded batteries caused 1,200 fires over a one-year span, a 71% increase over the year prior, according to Material Focus.
Singapore is not the only country to crack down on vape use, though its punishments are by far the harshest.
Both the U.K. and Belgium banned disposable vapes earlier this year, according to the BBC.