Singapore will tighten its five-year-old vaping ban by reclassifying the anaesthetic agent etomidate as a controlled drug from 1 September, the Health and Home Affairs ministries said on Thursday. The six-month designation allows authorities to impose drug-related sanctions on vape products laced with the substance while longer-term legislation is prepared for the first quarter of 2026. Under the interim rules, users caught with etomidate-laced devices face a fine and up to six months of mandatory rehabilitation, replacing the current monetary penalty alone. Importers and traffickers risk as much as 20 years in prison and 15 strokes of the cane, a sharp increase from the existing maximum of two years’ jail. Higher fines and compulsory rehabilitation will also apply to ordinary nicotine vapes. Officials said one in three of the 100 e-cigarettes seized in July contained etomidate, which they warned can cause severe neurological harm and has been linked to fatal accidents. Singapore banned all vaping products in 2018 but has stepped up enforcement as drug-infused devices spread across the region, prompting a broader public health campaign and tighter border checks.