Employer finds a vape device in maid’s room, asks what if her children had accidentally got hold of it

SINGAPORE: An employer who found a vape device in her maid’s room took to social media asking for advice.

In an anonymous post to a Facebook support group for both helpers and employers, the woman said that she had a real estate agent bring people to view their rental flat as her landlord planned to sell their unit. “I went to out helpers room to open the windows and found a vape by the window. When interviewing and going through house rules out (sic) helper of a few months says she does not smoke”, she wrote.

The employer added: “not sure if our real estate agent saw it or not….we also have kids in the house and could’ve played with it the odd chance they goto her room”.

Here’s what netizens who commented on the post said:

A pod of vaping liquid, which comes in a variety of different flavours, has to be inserted into the hand-held battery-powered device, which looks like a highlighter pen or pod.

From the liquid, the vape creates an aerosol that looks like water vapour but contains nicotine, flavouring, and other chemicals. Users then inhale the aerosol, and the nicotine and chemicals pass into the bloodstream.

They exhale the remnant vapours, which have the appearance of mist, and while this vapour is sweet smelling, the scent does not linger on clothes.

In Singapore, the import and sale of e-cigarettes and vapes is banned under a blanket prohibition on imitation tobacco products.

In 2018, the ban was extended to cover the purchase, use and possession of such products as well.

Under the Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) Act, any person convicted of selling, offering for sale, possessing for sale, importing or distributing e-vapourisers can be fined up to $10,000 or jailed up to six months or both jailed and fined for the first offence.

For the second or subsequent offence, a person can be fined up to $20,000 or jailed up to 12 months or both jailed and fined.

Those caught purchasing, using or owning an electronic vapouriser can be fined up to $2,000 per offence.