Singapore will impose severe penalties, including a maximum prison sentence of up to 1 year for violators of electronic cigarette regulations, similar to drug offenses.
Lawrence Wong, Singapore's Prime Minister, noted in an interview with Bloomberg News on the 17th (local time) that "up to now, we have treated electronic cigarettes like regular cigarettes and only imposed fines, but that is no longer sufficient," adding, "We will treat this issue like a drug problem and impose much stronger penalties."
This reflects a demand for severe penalties as one-third of the e-cigarettes seized by Singapore's health authorities tested positive for the anesthetic etomidate.
Etomidate is used in hospitals for sedation induction but is a hazardous substance that can cause hallucinations and permanent organ failure when abused.
The government is in the process of reclassifying etomidate as an illegal drug under the Drug Abuse Act.
Under the new regulations, users of e-cigarettes containing etomidate will face the same level of punishment as consumers of drugs like cocaine.
They will be required to undergo mandatory rehabilitation, and a minimum prison sentence of 1 year will be imposed in case of recidivism.
Wong stated, "We also plan to provide rehabilitation services for electronic cigarette addicts concurrently."