Key Points
- SEATCA presented Singapore Health Minister Ong Ye Kung with the inaugural Prakit Vathesatogkit Trailblazer Award in Bangkok.
- Singapore’s Ambassador to Thailand, Catherine Wong, accepted the award on his behalf.
- SEATCA cited leadership on regulating emerging tobacco and nicotine products and sharing policy experience across ASEAN.
- Amid rising student vaping, about 260 schools received nicotine test kits in 2025, and schools were required to report vaping cases.
- Tighter measures took effect on Sep 1, 2025, including listing etomidate (linked to Kpods) as a Class C drug and increasing penalties for students caught vaping.
2Firsts, Feb 6, 2026
According to CNA, Singapore’s Ministry of Health said Health Minister Ong Ye Kung was honoured by the Southeast Asian Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) for leadership in advancing tobacco control policies, including measures to curb vaping. The inaugural Prakit Vathesatogkit Trailblazer Award was presented at SEATCA’s 25th anniversary event in Bangkok, Thailand, and accepted on his behalf by Singapore’s Ambassador to Thailand, Catherine Wong.
SEATCA said the award recognises Ong’s “bold and visionary leadership in tobacco control,” pointing to Singapore’s approach to banning and tightening regulation of emerging tobacco and nicotine products, as well as sharing policy experience with other ASEAN countries.
Singapore’s Ministry of Health noted that Singapore banned vaping from the outset in 2018 under the Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) Act (TCASA). Amid a sharp rise in student vaping, around 260 schools were issued nicotine test kits between March and August 2025, and educational institutions from primary schools to junior colleges were required to report vaping incidents.
MOH also highlighted that tighter anti-vaping measures took effect on Sep 1, 2025, including listing etomidate — an anaesthetic drug found in Kpods — as a Class C drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act, alongside increased penalties for students caught vaping.
Image Source: CNA
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