HSA Nabs Seller Who Sold Illegal Electronic Vaporisers to Students

On 20 January 2023, the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) conducted an operation at a retail outlet in West Mall, and a residence in Tampines, nabbing a peddler who sold prohibited electronic vaporisers (e-vaporisers) to students. Large quantities of e-vaporisers and related components with an estimated street value of more than $11,000 were seized.  A 36-year-old male subject is currently assisting HSA in the investigation.  Please refer to Annex A in the pdf for photos.  

2        HSA carried out in-depth surveillance and intelligence gathering following a tip-off that a retail outlet in a neighbourhood shopping mall was selling prohibited e-vaporisers to students. HSA then mounted a covert operation to catch the e-vaporiser peddler. The peddler was operating from his workplace at the mall and had stored the prohibited items there as well as at his residence. A total of more than 400 e-vaporisers and 350 components were seized from these two locations.

3        HSA will not hesitate to take stern enforcement actions on those who conduct illegal activities such as the peddling of prohibited e-vaporisers to the general public, especially to youths and students.

Penalties for such offences in Singapore    

4        HSA would like to remind the public that the Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) Act prohibits the import, distribution, sale or offer for sale of imitation tobacco products. These include shisha tobacco, smokeless tobacco, chewing tobacco such as Gutkha, Khaini, Zarda, e-vaporisers and their components. Any person convicted of an offence is liable to a fine of up to $10,000, or imprisonment of up to six months or both for the first offence, and a fine of up to $20,000, or imprisonment of up to 12 months or both for the second or subsequent offence.  In addition, it is also an offence to purchase, use and possess such products.  The penalty is a fine of up to $2,000 per offence.  All prohibited tobacco items will also be seized and confiscated.

Consumer advisory

5           The purchase, use and possession of e-vaporisers is prohibited. Information pertaining to prohibited tobacco products in Singapore is available on the HSA website and more details about the harms of e-vaporisers can be found in this HealthHub article.

6        Members of the public who have information on the illegal import, distribution, sale or offer for sale of e-vaporisers can contact HSA’s Tobacco Regulation Branch at Tel: 6684 2036 or 6684 2037 during office hours (9:00am to 5:30pm, Monday to Friday).

Download pdf version here 745 KB

Published: 31 Jan 2023

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