A 19-year-old, Albee Chai Buo Yin, has recently been charged in connection with the sale of vaporisers through WhatsApp and for having vapes for her use.
On Tuesday, July 22, the young woman faced three different charges under Singapore’s Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) Act. These charges cover advertising electronic cigarettes, the act of selling vapes, and having these devices.
It’s alleged that the Singaporean teenager sold three disposable vapes to an individual named Javier. This transaction reportedly took place via WhatsApp on August 3, 2024. Furthermore, she is also accused of promoting imitation tobacco products. This accusation stems from an image she posted on WhatsApp on October 22 of last year, which displayed “an assortment of Lana e-cigarettes.”
The legal issues continued for Chai when, on December 19, she was reportedly found with several vaping items. This discovery occurred at a flat located in Jurong West Street 91, where authorities allegedly found “six disposable vapes and one vape with a pod in it.” Following these findings, Chai has indicated that she intends to plead guilty to the charges, and a date in August has been set for her to do so.
If someone is found guilty of selling vapes or even just advertising their sale, they could face a jail sentence of up to six months.
Additionally, they might be required to pay a fine of up to S$10,000, or they could face both penalties for the charge of possessing vapes for personal use, rather than for sale; the potential penalty is a fine of up to S$2,000.
These charges against the teenager come at a time when enforcement efforts against vaping offences are being stepped up across Singapore. The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) and other government ministries have intensified their crackdown, particularly focusing on students. Just recently, the HSA reported on Sunday that a significant number of vaping incidents have been reported.
Specifically, more than 2,500 reports of vaping were made in the first half of 2025. This figure is quite telling when compared to the full year of 2024, which saw over 3,000 such reports. To further aid in these enforcement efforts, the HSA also launched a new online reporting form on Monday, making it easier for members of the public to report any illegal vaping activities they encounter.
