Singaporeans defy ban on e-cigarettes

Singaporeans are defying a ban on electronic cigarettes despite stiff fines for distributors and smugglers, health authorities said Friday. The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) said it confiscated 5,356 of the devices, known as e-cigarettes or "vapers", last year, almost three times the seizures in 2012. This compared with only 10 such seizures in 2009. The battery-powered devices deliver a puff of nicotine vapour in a variety of possible flavours, minus many of the toxic chemicals present in a cigarette. HSA said there was no conclusive scientific evidence to show that e-cigarettes help smokers quit tobacco use. It added that health authorities are "concerned that e-cigarettes could potentially be a gateway to developing a smoking habit," according to AFP.