MHA to support HSA's Kpod crackdown and help in treatment of offenders: Shanmugam

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) will second its officers to the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) to tackle the scourge of etomidate-laced vaporisers, also known as Kpods.

- Andrew Wong

On July 30, Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam said this comes after a request for assistance from the Ministry of Health (MOH).

Speaking to the media on the sidelines of an SGSecure event, Mr Shanmugam said officers from his ministry will assist HSA with enforcement efforts, including the supervision, treatment and rehabilitation of etomidate abusers.

Mr Shanmugam, who is also Coordinating Minister for National Security, said: "The cases you hear about are distressing. The abusers of etomidate lose control of themselves; they put themselves in dangerous positions. They become vulnerable. They become zombies."

He said that as an interim measure, MHA will list etomidate as a Class C drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act (MDA), while his ministry continues to support MOH as it decides on further legislative actions against Kpod offenders.

This comes after Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said on July 20 that MOH and MHA were working together to list etomidate under the MDA. Mr Ong had said the interim measure will be enacted in the coming weeks.

Etomidate is classified as a poison and regulated under the Poisons Act. It has clinical use as an anaesthetic agent, and is permitted only in clinical settings and subject to strict conditions.

Under this law, abusers face only a fine. Sellers face possible jail time of up to two years.