Vape users inhale not just harmful chemicals, but toxic metals into their lungs. Synopsis: Every first Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times helps you make sense of health matters that affect you. E-cigarettes or vapes can contain less chemicals than cigarettes, but did you know that the former can expose users to toxic metals?  Is vaping safer than smoking and just how harmful is vaping? Find out these and more in the latest Health Check episode with ST senior health correspondent Joyce Teo, as she dives into the topic with two experts from Tan Tock Seng Hospital. They are Adj Asst/Prof Clive Tan, Public Health Specialist and Senior Consultant, Department of Preventive & Population Medicine and Adj Asso/Prof Puah Ser Hon, Head and Senior Consultant from the Department of Respiratory & Critical Care Medicine. With vaping on the rise here, despite it being illegal, they also talk about the help available to a vape user who wants to quit the habit, and what can be done about the vaping problem here. In Singapore, simply purchasing, using or owning an electronic vapouriser or vape, can attract fines of up to $2,000 per offence. Yet, vaping is on the rise here. The purchase, use or possession of vapes jumped 58 per cent to about 7,900 cases in 2023, from about 5,000 cases in 2022, according to data from the Ministry of Health. Highlights (click/tap above): 3:33 Are vapes safer than cigarettes? 8:17 Inhaling chemicals and toxic metals 20:35 Considering an amnesty for vape users 27:42 You can get the help that you need to quit vaping Produced by: Joyce Teo ([email protected]), Ernest Luis, and Eden Soh Edited by: Eden Soh Follow Health Check Podcast here every month and rate us: Channel: https://str.sg/JWaN Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWRX Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaQ SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/ Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts Feedback to: [email protected] Read Joyce Teo's stories: https://str.sg/JbxN --- Discover more ST podcast channels: All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7  The Usual Place: https://str.sg/wEr7u COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7 Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m Hard Tackle: https://str.sg/JWRE #PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX --- ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa --- Special edition series: True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i44T The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2 Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa --- Get The Straits Times' app, which has a dedicated podcast player section: The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX #healthcheck See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.