Overview

• Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced on August 17 that vaping will be reclassified as a drug issue, introducing jail sentences for sellers and traffickers of harmful substances
• Authorities plan to list the anaesthetic etomidate under the Misuse of Drugs Act, closing a legal gap that previously limited punishments to fines under the Poisons Act
• More than 100 individuals are under investigation and initial prosecutions have begun as part of a government-wide enforcement push led by the Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Health
• The Health Sciences Authority has advertised investigator roles and will receive seconded officers from MHA while continuing information-sharing with Hong Kong’s Department of Health
• Land Transport Authority and SMRT have stepped up patrols on public transport, removing commuters caught vaping, as the government expands education, reporting channels and non-punitive rehabilitation for users