Will implementing fines prevent vaping in youths?

In March 2024, the government announced that first-time offenders caught using or possessing e-vapourisers in schools can be fined up to $2000. This announcement stirred up commotion online as many netizens were wondering if the punishment was truly effective.

Source: Pixel, Ryan Grice

14.3 million, that is the estimated number of vape users in Southeast Asia. This number is more than twice of Singapore’s total population. In a 2023 report by SingHealth, it can be seen that the number of vape users in Singapore increased by 58% from 2022 to 2023. 

The government has always taken a strong stand against vaping. Hence, with these alarming numbers, the government has decided to implement a $2000 fine on student vapers, to help prevent vaping amongst youths. 

However, the choice of the government sparked heated debates online. Most argued that this will cause an unnecessary financial burden to fall on parents as most students would not have sufficient money to pay for the fines. 

In contrast, some netizens agreed with the government, remarking that the parents should be “punished” for not educating their children. 

Source: Pexel, Ketut Subiyanto

Some also suggested that the students should be made to do community service instead, as there will be direct consequences on the students. However, will fines and community hours actually stop youths from vaping? 

In my opinion, both methods do not address the underlying reasons for vaping. While the methods may not be a silver bullet, they should be used with other tools, like rehabilitation, to prevent vaping. In an article by TODAY in April 2023, youths said that they would not stop vaping even if authorities tightened enforcement. 

I reckon that the government can look into increasing the frequency of exaggerated Public Service Announcements (PSA) campaigns. For example, a recent campaign by Health Promotion Board:

Source: Health Promotion Board

This campaign took a light-hearted approach to tackle a heavy topic. By creating campaigns that use humour and exaggeration to highlight the impacts of vaping, it will allow the campaign to be engaging yet informative at the same time. If the government continues to improve on campaigns that better align with the humour of youths, it may help deter youths from vaping. 

All things considered, it can be observed that the government has been putting in tremendous effort to stop youths from vaping in Singapore. However, some of their initiatives and choices do not address the reasons why youths choose to vape. If the government decides to build on existing initiatives, they can definitely increase the effectiveness of these projects.