'I can’t rely on a substance to escape': How former vape users are rebuilding their lives

'I can’t rely on a substance to escape': How former vape users are rebuilding their lives With more vape offenders undergoing rehabilitation, former users share how counselling helped them overcome cravings, regain stability and move forward. SINGAPORE: The first thing Emily (not her real name) did every morning was reach for her vape - a habit she picked up after friends pressured her to try it at school when she was 13. By 15, Emily had started to use Kpods, which are vapes laced with etomidate. The addiction left her struggling with brain fog and frequently skipping school and work. “I started to vape because of stress, but after a while, it became a habit,” said the now 19-year-old. "The hardest part was convincing myself I didn't need to vape." Her turning point came during a six-month stint at the Reformative Training Centre (RTC) last year for an unrelated offence. There, she attended a rehabilitation programme that included weekly counselling sessions. The sessions taught her to better manage stress, which in turn helped with her vaping addiction. "I found out that I bottled my feelings up too much," Emily said. “I would let it build and build until my breaking point.” While Emily underwent rehabilitation through a general programme, her experience reflects some of the challenges counsellors encounter when working with vape users trying to break free from addiction. Ms Nicolina Ng, a counsellor at the National Addictions Management Service (NAMS), said that many participants develop greater self-awareness over the course of rehabilitation. They become better able to identify the situations, emotions and people that trigger their cravings, while learning healthier coping strategies to manage them. Since anti-vaping enforcement was stepped up in September last year, 520 offenders have been placed on vape rehabilitation programmes as of Mar 31, according to the Health Sciences Authority (HSA). Of these, 123 have completed their rehabilitation, while 10 have reoffended. Research shows that outcomes among participants of mandatory rehabilitation programmes can be comparable to those who engage voluntarily, provided the therapeutic approach is appropriately tailored, said Ms Eliza Yong, a senior counsellor at NAMS. Psychoeducation, which teaches individuals about the specifics of their well-being and symptoms, plays an important role in counselling sessions, Ms Yong added. “Many participants - particularly younger individuals - may be unaware of the physiological basis of etomidate dependence, and understanding this can reframe their experience of cravings and withdrawal as clinical phenomena rather than personal failings.” LEAVING THE OLD LIFE BEHIND For 19-year-old full-time national serviceman Yong Han (not his real name), one of the biggest challenges he faced in his recovery journey was changing the environment that had contributed to his substance use. He started vaping at 14 out of curiosity and a desire to fit in with friends. His family eventually discovered his vaping habit after finding him in a dazed state in his room on several occasions, prompting them to bring him to NAMS for treatment. Yong Han initially resisted treatment. During his first admission to NAMS in July 2025, he left after five days because he did not want to be there. “At the start, I felt very resentful because the first time I was sent in against my will and I didn't want to be there,” Yong Han said. But something shifted when he returned to NAMS a month later for a second detox stint lasting three weeks. “Some time during the second detox, I felt very grateful because that was when I started my recovery journey,” he said. “Recovery required me to leave everything else at the door and accept that my recovery had to be my top priority.” After his treatment at NAMS, Yong Han began attending counselling sessions once every two weeks at addiction recovery centre We Care. One of the hardest decisions he had to make was distancing himself from friends who also vaped. “I entered recovery feeling as though I had very little to hold on to,” he said. Listen: NAMS' Ms Ng said participants who continue associating with peers who abuse substances face a significantly higher risk of relapse. Returning to the same social circles and environments where substance use is present remains one of the most common challenges participants face, she added. Though Yong Han initially worried he would be lonely after leaving those friendships behind, he managed to bond with others in the programmes. Even then, recovery was not always straightforward for him. About six months after he stopped vaping, Yong Han nearly relapsed following an argument with a family member. But instead of falling back into old habits, he reached out to his support network for help. “I cherish what I have and that keeps me from going back to where I was,” he said. Yong Han has not vaped for more than nine months now. Peer influence was a major factor in his vaping habit, but addiction can also take hold later in life. David (not his real name), a 45-year-old consultant, first started vaping in his 40s after returning from an overseas work assignment. “I started vaping because I was feeling aimless and lacked direction in life,” he said. “I was bored and willingly tried vaping when it was introduced to me.” Eventually, he started using Kpods, with the addiction soon taking a toll on his health. “It reached a point where vaping and Kpods began to take over my life,” David said. David developed health issues that led to breathing difficulties and two hospital admissions. Doctors told him that vaping might have been a contributing factor. "My body felt weak, and I struggled to breathe. I no longer felt like myself and knew that something wasn't right,” he said. Wanting to make a change, David voluntarily sought help in April 2025. Over the next three to four months, he attended counselling sessions at We Care and adopted healthier habits, including staying hydrated, getting enough rest and maintaining a balanced diet. “Therapy helped me feel heard and understood,” said David. "My counsellor was able to relate to my struggles because he had lived experience with addiction himself." The recovery journey also affected his social life, with his friends asking why he had become withdrawn and quiet. "I became a different person and no longer felt like socialising," he said. "I even stopped dating during that time because I had lost confidence in myself." Counselling also prompted David to reflect on what had led him to vaping in the first place. He said that the most important thing he learnt was the significance of finding a purpose and direction in life. “I can’t rely on a substance to escape - everything and everyone will eventually be affected,” he said. Since completing counselling six months ago, David has remained vape-free and is focused on rebuilding his life. He attends church, which he says has given him a renewed sense of purpose in life. He also keeps busy with work and spends time with friends. ONGOING RECOVERY Recovery is an ongoing process, even when rehabilitation programmes or counselling sessions end. Mr Ignatius Pereira, an assistant senior social worker at THK Family Service Centre @ Tanjong Pagar, said that the period after rehabilitation can be just as challenging. "Finishing a programme is only one step. Afterwards, the real challenge begins: settling into new routines, managing emotions, and putting what they've learned into practice,” he said. “Recovery is rarely a straight road - it twists and turns, and looks different for everyone”, he added. "What matters is building resilience and finding ways to keep moving forward." Emily has not vaped since her admission to RTC. Her term ended in February. She credits her family and close friends for helping her stay vape-free. They would remind her of how far she had come and the difficulties she faced when she was addicted. She said that counselling has helped her better manage her emotions. “I think a lot more now about my actions and their consequences before I do things,” she added. Emily is currently studying for her O-Levels as a private candidate while working part-time at an eatery. She hopes to become a psychologist one day, inspired by her own counselling journey. Having seen several counsellors throughout her life, she noted that not all of those sessions were positive. One school counsellor she saw when she was 13 left her feeling judged and misunderstood. In contrast, the counsellor she met at RTC made her feel heard. "I wanted to be like her and help people," Emily said.