'I'd have phone in one hand, vape in the other': Addicted at 17

For five years since he was 17 years old, the three things Adam (not his real name) could not leave home without were his phone, wallet and vape.

- Nadine Chua

Introduced to vaping by his friends as an alternative to smoking, Adam said: "I would vape almost daily. Sometimes it was because I was bored, and other times because I felt stressed."

"It became such a habit that if I didn't have one hand on my phone and the other hand holding my vape, I would feel strange."

In January, Adam, now 22, contacted Impart, a non-profit organisation that helps young people with their struggles, including addiction to vaping.

Constantly coughing after vaping made the Institute of Technical Education student wonder what might happen if he continued vaping. He said: "I wanted to quit, but did not know how to. I no longer bring my vape out. But it is not easy to completely stop overnight."

While vaping is illegal here, the Ministry of Health and the Health Sciences Authority said in July that those who voluntarily seek support for quitting will not face any penalties for doing so.