Tina Tan
It comes as no surprise that our Government has taken a hard stance against Kpods and vaping. Consequently, we as medical practitioners have had to rapidly inform ourselves on what exactly Kpods are, and the new and existing regulations we are expected to comply with in our clinical practice. The response and agility demanded of us in recent months is reminiscent of 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic first hit Singapore and every doctor from every specialty found their daily work impacted in various ways. Likewise, with respect to recent events, you would be hard-pressed to find a doctor who can say, "This doesn't concern me." To me, it highlights the importance of staying in touch, staying connected, and above all, staying attuned.
Having interviewed Adj Prof Raymond Chua over a pleasant lunch with SMA News colleague Dr Clive Tan, I have concluded that this is what Adj Prof Chua tries to achieve in his own line of work. One of the original titles proposed for the interview was "Regulators Are Not Your Enemy". This unused title and the theme of agility conveyed in the interview highlight the fact that regulators are generally aware of issues on the ground and are trying their best to help doctors.
On a personal level, this does not mean that I agree with everything regulators do (ahem, such as the Health Information Bill). However, since I am but one tiny fish in a large pond, the conditions of which are beyond my control, all that I can do is express my appreciation for those on the regulatory side and the fact that they are willing to listen and stay attuned.
Clive Tan
The youth vaping crisis in Singapore has been clearly acknowledged in 2025. The authorities and healthcare professionals have been piling in resources, stepping up enforcement and turning up the volume for public communications. To help catch the attention of the general population, many of these messages have been designed to take the form of short-form content and videos.
The trend of more youths using drug-laced vapes is especially worrying, as the harm to the user compounds over time and impacts his/her development. Several of the doctors featured in this issue have been at the forefront of this war against vaping, and we are appreciative of them taking the time to write for our readers. We hope you find these perspectives useful and insightful.