In Singapore, the e-cigarette market persists and evolves online despite their strict ban.

Despite the ban on the sale of electronic cigarettes, such products incorporating advanced technological features, such as Bluetooth, digital screens, video games and music[1] are available online. Some models can even be used as phones. Designed to not resemble traditional e-cigarettes and generally more expensive, these devices mimic everyday objects such as mobile phones, school supplies, or toys, making them harder to identify and normalizing vaping.

Very strict legislation regarding vaping products

In Singapore, where vaping has been banned since February 2018, sanctions have been strengthened since January 1st.^er September 2025. People caught vaping now face higher fines: 500 Singapore dollars (€334) for minors and 700 Singapore dollars (€467) for adults, compared to 300 Singapore dollars (€200) and 500 Singapore dollars respectively previously. The stricter penalties also include an awareness program for repeat offenders. Several thousand people have already been fined for e-cigarette-related offenses.

Furthermore, the legislation is also strict regarding the prohibition of any promotion. Thus, any online promotion of vaping is punishable by a fine of 12,000 Singapore dollars (€8,000) since December 2025.[2].

The authorities are continuing their control actions, particularly online, by removing advertisements, closing discussion groups and blocking access to foreign sites.

In the ASEAN region, Singapore is not alone in its determination regarding e-cigarettes. Several countries – Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia, Brunei – have also adopted a complete ban on these products.

Enforcing the ban is made difficult by online circumvention and aggressive marketing strategies.

Despite strong political will, Singaporean authorities emphasize the difficulties in enforcing the measure. These difficulties are primarily linked to the transnational nature of digital platforms, originating from countries as diverse as Lithuania, Canada, Iceland, and Malaysia, and to the varying regulations governing the advertising and promotion of vaping products in these countries. Despite the strict ban on these products in Singapore, they continue to be widely promoted online through delivery offers, discounts for bulk purchases, themes appealing to young people, fruity and sweet flavors, and colorful packaging. This is further enhanced by references to everyday or nostalgic objects, such as a 1980s Game Boy, or technologies comparable to modern smartphones (Bluetooth, calls, streaming, video games, social networks, etc.), which reinforces their appeal.

Checks have shown that Bluetooth-enabled devices, which can also be used as game consoles or music players, generally sell for $90 (€60), compared to $16-30 (€10-20) for conventional e-cigarettes sold on platforms like Telegram.

The manufacturers of these products focus their marketing on the ordinariness of these devices, claiming that the dose of nicotine can be controlled, in order to minimize health concerns.

This situation is not unique to Singapore and reflects marketing strategies defined internationally by manufacturers. International reports indicate a trend whereby users modify the appearance of their e-cigarettes to resemble common stationery items, soda bottles, or even building blocks, making them much harder for authorities and parents to detect.

Furthermore, international experts warn that all these marketing tools could increase their addictive nature, particularly among children and adolescents.

In the UK, where vaping is legal but regulated, experts are concerned that these new devices are targeting children.

In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued warnings to retailers and manufacturers of devices that resemble smart technology or toys. Professor Jennifer B. Unger of the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California stated that these devices combine three highly addictive elements—nicotine, video games, and sugary flavors—while their packaging makes them seem reassuring, fun, and nostalgic.

She stated that« When an electronic cigarette resembles a toy and rewards you for using it, it's not just a product, it's a behavioral trap. ".

The Singaporean example highlights that, as with tobacco products, manufacturers of these products use every means of circumvention or violate the regulations in force in a country to continue marketing their products. It follows that international measures are necessary, such as bans on cross-border advertising or the blocking of online access, to allow a growing number of countries that have banned these products to more easily enforce the measure.

©Generation Without Tobacco

AD

[1]Zaihan Mohamed Yusof, Vape sellers targeting young people with devices that can play music, games, The Straits Times, published January 5, 2026, accessed January 6, 2026

[2]First Prosecution in Singapore Over Social Media Vaping Posts, 2firsts, published on December 18, 2025, accessed on January 6, 2026

National Committee Against Smoking |