Detection of Illegal Purchases of Nicotine Pouches by Singaporeans

79 Miss Rachel Ong asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health (a) whether the Government has intercepted illegal purchases of nicotine pouches or snus (powdered smokeless tobacco) via the SnusAsia website that specifies its sale to Singapore; (b) if so, how many of such pouches have been intercepted to date; and (c) what measures are in place to control access to nicotine pouches or snus in Singapore, especially by our youths.

Mr Ong Ye Kung: Health Sciences Authority (HSA) has not detected any cases where prohibited tobacco products were purchased from SnusAsia website and shipped to Singapore. HSA is working with the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), to block SnusAsia website as it is in breach of the ban on tobacco advertisements under Tobacco (Control of Advertisement and Sales) Act.

HSA monitors the online sale of prohibited tobacco products closely and collaborates with IMDA, local e-commerce and social media platforms to take down online listings that are selling these products to Singapore. The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority detects and seizes illegal imports of prohibited tobacco products at the checkpoints.