Violation of E-Cigarette Use . Singapore Law

The Singapore government “does not intend to wait until the situation becomes uncontrollable.”

E-cigarettes are treated as a drug issue.

• Effective September 1, 2025, Singapore will impose stricter penalties on tourists and foreigners for e-cigarette violations, including possible deportation.
• Repeat offenders and individuals found in possession of or testing positive for etomidate will be subject to revocation of entry permission, deportation, and a ban on re-entry.
• MOM staff support the enforcement of the HSA and educate migrant workers on the consequences of using e-cigarettes. ICA is strengthening border inspections and seizures.

Flogging was also added.

・Effective September 1, 2025, anyone importing electronic cigarettes shall be punished by imprisonment for 3 to 20 years and 5 to 15 strokes of the cane.
・Anyone convicted of selling or distributing electronic cigarettes shall be punished by imprisonment for 2 to 10 years and 2 to 5 strokes of the cane.

Penalty amount (for possession or use of electronic cigarettes)

【First offense for minors under 18】$500
【First offense for adults】$700

People who voluntarily seek help are not punished, it seems.

There is a path to relief. Source and reference for this article: Singapore Government website　Stop Vaping　
＊＊Countries prohibiting the import of e-cigarettes are common in Asia, such as Thailand.

Transit passengers at Changi Airport and international ships are also covered.

Red dedicated trash bins are available at airports and other locations. Please dispose of the applicable e-cigarettes in these bins.

Short-term visitor pass holders

This includes visitors on tourist visas or those coming for one-time jobs.

If you reoffend, you will be subject to a ban on re-entering Singapore.

Most Japanese residents hold work visas and their families

Foreigners holding long-term passes such as Employment Passes, S Passes, Work Permits, Student Passes, Long Visit Passes, and Dependant’s Passes may have their passes revoked upon a third violation.
They may be subject to deportation and a ban on re-entering Singapore.

Singapore’s Schools and Punishments

・2022-2024: An average of 3,100 students per year were arrested for e-cigarette use.
　　　　　　　　Of these, approximately 800 were from institutions of higher learning (IHL) each year.
・Metal detectors and nicotine test kits are available.
・Plans are in place to introduce new technologies such as e-cigarette detectors going forward.
・Random inspections and crackdowns are already being implemented.
・Students caught using e-cigarettes on school grounds face penalties including suspension, referral to counseling, and adjustment of conduct grades (based on legislation announced August 28, 2025).
・Violators may face consequences such as loss of leadership opportunities, exclusion from overseas exchange programs, scholarship revocation, and removal from dormitories. Repeated offenders may be expelled from their course.

Penalties for Singaporean Civil Servants and Military Personnel

・Civil servants: In addition to the announced penalties, they will face disciplinary action. This may include additional fines, demotion, or dismissal.
・Military personnel: They may face demotion or dismissal, and fines may be imposed. National guardsmen may be detained.

Singapore Supreme Court ruling

August 28, 2025.

“A person in possession of drugs shall be presumed to have known the nature of the drugs unless there is evidence to the contrary.”

The court dismissed a constitutional challenge against a provision of the Misuse of Drugs Act (MDA) that places the burden of rebutting this presumption on suspects accused of drug trafficking.

Singapore law