After new, harsher penalties for violators of the country's ban on vaping took effect September 1, officials in Singapore announced that more than 1,500 vape products had been seized in just a matter of days, CNA reported.

"Vaping is illegal in Singapore," said the country's Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, per CNA. "Foreigners who visit or live in Singapore must abide by our laws."

Roughly 70% of the incidents involved short-term visitors to the island nation, according to officials.

While Singapore officially has banned vapes of all kinds since 2018, the government recently began escalating its crackdown amid the growing popularity of so-called "Kpods," the slang term for vapes illicitly laced with the anesthetic etomidate, the BBC reported in August.

The new, tougher punishments apply to both individual users of vape products and to those caught smuggling or selling them.

First-time offenders caught using or possessing vapes now face a fine of 700 Singapore dollars ($546) if over age 18, while those under 18 can be forced to pay 500 Singapore dollars ($390). After a second offense, violators must attend a mandatory drug rehabilitation program. If caught a third time, individuals face criminal prosecution and a fine of up to 2,000 Singapore dollars ($1,560), according to CNA.

Those found to be smuggling vapes into the country or selling vape products can be jailed for up to 20 years and even face physical punishment in the form of caning, per the BBC report.

Days before the more stringent punishments took effect, ICA officials announced they had identified a van attempting to enter the country while carrying almost 900 vapes and 7,000 vape parts, CNA previously reported.

Smugglers had attempted to conceal the illicit materials within air conditioning units and parts, officials said.

The famously anti-drug island nation has not been the only country attempting to more closely regulate vape products amid a growing number of drug-laced vapes.

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In England, young people have been able to purchase vapes spiked with synthetic cannabinoids known as "spice" through social media with relative ease, a BBC investigation revealed. These little-understood chemical additives pose a serious risk to health, leading to hospitalizations and intense withdrawal symptoms.

Beyond the risk of being laced with illicit drugs, standard nicotine vape products themselves are known to be highly damaging to human health.

"There are no safe tobacco products, including e-cigarettes," the CDC has warned. "E-cigarettes should not be used by youth, young adults, or women who are pregnant."

In addition to the serious health risks, vape products are also highly damaging to the environment. A review of the environmental impacts of vapes and e-cigarettes found that these products often contain dangerous substances, including heavy metals like mercury and lead, along with carcinogenic flame-retardant chemicals.

When vapes are discarded, these substances can leach into the soil and water, contaminating the environment.

A combination of public health and environmental concerns has led several countries, including England, Belgium, Australia, and New Zealand, to ban single-use vapes, according to Eunomia.

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