Singapore has a reputation for banning everything fun. The reality is more interesting: some famous “bans” are real, some are narrower than the legends, and some rules have changed.
🚫 Chewing gum: Singapore Customs lists ordinary chewing gum as prohibited from import, while approved oral dental and medicinal gum is excepted. Chewing gum itself is not a secret crime committed behind closed curtains.
🚫 Vaping: HSA’s current guidance says that purchasing, possessing and using vaporisers is illegal, as are importing and supplying them. This is one rule not to treat as a tourist myth.
🐈 Cats in HDB flats: the old ban is gone. Under the cat-management framework announced by HDB and AVS, residents may keep up to two cats in an HDB flat, subject to licensing and the current rules.
🛴 E-scooters: they are not completely banned. LTA says that a compliant, registered e-scooter may be used on cycling paths, but not on footpaths or roads.
💊 Drugs: Singapore’s drug laws are extremely strict, but the penalty depends on the substance, quantity and offence. The Central Narcotics Bureau’s overview of the Misuse of Drugs Act distinguishes trafficking, import or export, possession and consumption; capital punishment is not the punishment for every case of possession or consumption.
Rules change, so this is a dated snapshot checked in August 2026, not a substitute for current advice from Singapore Customs, HSA, HDB, LTA or CNB.