Overview

• Government agencies plan to list etomidate under the Misuse of Drugs Act, shifting it from lighter Poisons Act controls to tougher drug penalties.
• One in three seized vapes contains etomidate, the anaesthetic linked to hallucinations, seizures and psychosis, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said.
• The HSA will extend its hotline hours to seven days a week from 9am to 9pm and roll out an online form on July 21 to streamline vaping offence reports.
• Officers continue to seize large quantities of illicit pods, including almost three tonnes confiscated from an alleged distributor in Bishan and Ubi during a July 11 raid.
• Medical authorities warn that K-pods, illicit vaping devices laced with etomidate, are being pushed by organized crime groups and pose serious health risks if inhaled.