Singaporean influencer Eunice Joy Ng was fined S$3,500 (US$2,740) on Friday (May 29) after posting an advertisement for vaporisers

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Singapore influencer fined S$3,500 after advertising vapes for sale on Telegram​

Eunice Joy Ng, known online as "Mermaid Girl", pleaded guilty to one count of publishing an advertisement containing a suggestion to purchase imitation tobacco products, but objected to the fine of S$4,000 sought by the prosecution.

Eunice Joy Ng arrives at the State Courts on May 29, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Wallace Woon)

Koh Wan Ting​

29 May 2026 03:57PM

SINGAPORE: Singaporean influencer Eunice Joy Ng was fined S$3,500 (US$2,740) on Friday (May 29) after posting an advertisement for vaporisers in December last year.

Ng, 26, pleaded guilty to one count of publishing an advertisement containing a suggestion to purchase imitation tobacco products on her Telegram story, a contravention under the Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) Act 1993.

The Act has since been renamed the Tobacco and Vaporisers Control Act 1993 to reflect sharper focus on vapes, and the new Act came into effect on May 1.

Ng, who attended court without a lawyer, said she would pay the fine. She is known online as "Mermaid Girl", but appears to have removed her social media accounts.

A Health Sciences Authority (HSA) prosecuting counsel told the court that Ng decided to buy vapes for resale to supplement her income around November 2025.

She bought five vapes from a Telegram seller at S$13 (US$10) each. She then advertised the sale of the devices on Telegram stories and admitted to selling two at S$15 each.

She posted the advertisements on her Telegram account to generate interest in her business, and continued doing so until around December 2025.

The advertisement was accompanied by the caption: “For those who want me to get vape for them, you can send me your preorder list, and I will try to get them. If there is high demand, I will set up a Google form.”

HSA prosecuting counsel Nur Afiqah sought a fine of S$4,000.

However, Ng told the court that the amount was "a bit high for me" because it was her first time being charged with such an offence.

She added that she did not understand the rationale for the amount and hoped to receive a lighter sentence.

In reply, Ms Afiqah said the amount was warranted, especially given the enforcement climate and public health concerns surrounding the proliferation of vapes. She added that deterrence is necessary to discourage such conduct.

District Judge Terence Tay noted that in past cases cited by the prosecution, the offenders had charges that were taken into consideration, whereas Ng faced only a single charge. He asked Ms Afiqah whether the prosecution's sentencing position had taken that into account.

Ms Afiqah acknowledged that while the past cases involved more charges, greater emphasis should now be placed on deterrence given the current climate, to which Judge Tay said "very well".

In sentencing, Judge Tay said that while there are serious public health concerns surrounding e-vaporisers, which necessitate deterrence, the sentence imposed must not be excessive.

He imposed a fine of S$3,500 on Ng. She would have had to serve 10 days' jail in default if she could not pay the fine.

For advertising vapes for sale, an offender can be fined up to $10,000, jailed for up to six months, or both, under the Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) Act 1993.
Source: CNA/wt(sn)