Vaping in Singapore: What Parents of Teens Need to Know Now

Vaping is illegal for everyone in Singapore, and the penalties rose on 1 May 2026, when the Tobacco and Vaporisers Control Act (TVCA) took effect. The maximum fine for buying, using or possessing a vape is now S$10,000, up from S$2,000. Vapes containing etomidate, a drug now listed as a Specified Psychoactive Substance, carry far heavier penalties. The good news for parents of teenagers is in the latest school figures: MOE told Parliament on 7 October 2026 that the average number of students referred to the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) each month for vaping fell from 181 to 62 after stepped-up measures began.

Help has also changed. The Government's QuitVape programme ended on 1 September 2026, and the gov.sg Stop Vaping page now points anyone who wants to stop to the Health Promotion Board's QuitLine. This guide sets out the law, what happens to a student who is caught, and how to start the conversation at home.

What are the penalties for vaping in Singapore now?

The gov.sg explainer sets out the TVCA's penalties, which apply to vapes whether or not they contain drugs:

• Buying, using or possessing any prohibited product, including a vape: maximum fine raised from S$2,000 to S$10,000.
• Supplying vapes: mandatory jail of up to six years and a fine of up to S$200,000. Importing: mandatory jail of up to nine years and a fine of up to S$300,000.

For products containing etomidate or its analogues, which the Act lists as Specified Psychoactive Substances, the penalties are close to drug laws. Those caught possessing, buying or consuming them face, if prosecuted, a fine of up to S$20,000, jail of up to 10 years, or both. Supplying carries two to 10 years' jail and two to five strokes of the cane. Singapore Citizens and permanent residents also commit an offence if they consume these substances overseas.

What happens if a student is caught vaping?

MOE's 7 October reply says schools and institutes of higher learning keep "zero tolerance" towards vaping. Students who are caught face school or institution-based discipline in addition to national penalties, and receive rehabilitation and counselling support.

The gov.sg Stop Vaping page describes the rehabilitation that follows, by profile:

• Second-time vape offenders: a mandatory three-month community-based programme under HPB, with individual counselling.
• First and second-time etomidate vape offenders: mandatory community-based rehabilitation for three to six months under the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) and social service agencies. Those under 21 go through MSF's Youth Enhanced Supervision scheme, which includes family sessions.
• Third-time or later etomidate offenders: detention at the Drug Rehabilitation Centre. The page says those under 16 are not sent there, but are placed under regular testing for 12 months.

The page also notes there is an established appeals process for fines that parents may apply to.

Is vaping in schools getting better?

MOE's figures point that way. Since the stepped-up measures began on 1 September 2025, the average number of students referred to HSA each month has fallen from 181 (September 2024 to August 2025) to 62 (September 2025 to August 2026), roughly a two-thirds drop. MOE reads this as a sign that detection, reporting and enforcement are "making a meaningful difference".

Two cautions in reading it. The figures count referrals, not how many students vape. And the question MOE was answering covered primary schools, secondary schools and institutes of higher learning, while the reply gives one combined figure with no breakdown by age or level.

Why does an adult's vape at home matter?

The TVCA added offences aimed at protecting children. The gov.sg explainer says adults with etomidate products who knowingly or recklessly leave them where children can reach them, or who do not take reasonable steps to stop young people using them, face up to 10 years' jail for a first offence. Owners and occupiers of premises are also responsible for making sure others do not store prohibited products there. Our reading: any vape at home is already an offence for the adult who has it, and an etomidate vape left within a child's reach adds the risk of jail.

What if my child wants to quit?

The Stop Vaping page says QuitVape ceased on 1 September 2026, that people who come forward voluntarily to seek help will not face penalties or receive an offence record for doing so, and that those who need help can call HPB's QuitLine on 1800 438 2000. Help for etomidate use is available at IMH, where services became chargeable from 1 September 2026. For non-etomidate vaping, the page points to HPB's I Quit programme, and for parents to the Families for Life website and HPB's ParentHub for conversation tips.

How to start the conversation: a five-step plan

Our suggestions, drawing on the page's advice that open conversations help:

1. Pick a calm moment, not the evening a teacher calls.
2. Ask before you tell: what have they seen at school or online, and what do friends say vapes contain?
3. State the facts plainly: vapes are illegal at any age, fines reach S$10,000, and etomidate vapes carry jail terms.
4. Agree what happens next if they are offered one, and if they have already tried one, without making help conditional on a confession.
5. Know the numbers: QuitLine 1800 438 2000, and the school counsellor.

Active weekends help too; our guide to weekend sports for children has ideas. Teenagers' online lives are changing as well: see our guide to Singapore's social media age limit. More family guides are in our routines topic.

Common questions