Debated in Parliament on 3 Feb 2026.
Miss Rachel Ong asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health (a) what is the Ministry's assessment of the health risks posed by smart vapes designed as gaming consoles or phones to target youths; and (b) whether current legislation will be reviewed to introduce heavier penalties for manufacturers and distributors who use such deceptive designs to circumvent parental and school supervision and attract young users.
Miss Rachel Ong asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health (a) how many e-vaporisers disguised as electronic smart devices have been seized in the past year; and (b) whether the Ministry will consider enhanced sentencing frameworks for syndicates that intentionally import vapes disguised as common household or student items to evade detection by enforcement agencies at checkpoints.
Mr Jackson Lam asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health (a) how enforcement agencies are adapting to vapes disguised as everyday items or smart devices; (b) whether current search, detection, and seizure powers are adequate; and (c) how frontline officers are trained to identify such concealed devices.
E-vaporisers disguised in the form of USB drives, highlighters, smart devices and other everyday items are not new. The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) has been detecting such cases. HSA has encountered two cases of smart e-vaporisers thus far.
These officers are already empowered to carry out the necessary enforcement activities.
The Ministry of Health plans to legislate stiffer penalties for importers and suppliers of e-vaporisers, regardless of their form. The use of deceptive designs to evade detection can be presented to the Courts as an aggravating factor warranting a higher sentence.
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