First Prosecution and Imprisonment for E-vaporiser Offender Who Did Not Attend Rehabilitation
6 JANUARY 2026 - A 23-year-old woman, Tang Yu Ling, was sentenced in court today to one week imprisonment for the possession of etomidate e-vaporiser pods, following her failure to attend rehabilitation. This is the first case of an e-vaporiser offender being charged by the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) for an e-vaporiser related offence for failing to attend rehabilitation.
2 Tang was caught on 2 September 2025 for the possession of one e-vaporiser and pod, which were tested to contain etomidate. She was issued with a composition fine and placed on a rehabilitation programme, in lieu of prosecution. However, she did not attend her first rehabilitation appointment on 24 September 2025. As she failed to attend rehabilitation despite repeated reminders, HSA proceeded to bring charges against her for possession of etomidate.
Mandatory rehabilitation programme and penalties for non-attendance
3 HSA has been offering etomidate e-vaporiser offenders rehabilitation at the first instance to give them a chance to quit their habit with professional support. Attendance is mandatory.
4 However, offenders, as in the case of Tang, who fail to attend and/or complete their rehabilitation will be charged in court. Such etomidate e-vaporiser offenders face a fine of up to $10,000 or imprisonment for up to two years or both.
HEALTH SCIENCES AUTHORITY
SINGAPORE
6 JANUARY 2026
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Consumer, Healthcare professional, Industry member, Tobacco control
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