Teen arrested after licking straw and returning it to orange juice vending machine
An 18-year-old student in Singapore has been arrested for public nuisance after a video emerged of him licking a straw from an iJooz vending machine and reinserting it, prompting a police investigation and hygiene upgrades by the company.
An 18-year-old student in Singapore has been arrested for public nuisance after a video emerged online showing him licking a straw taken from an iJooz vending machine and reinserting it into the machine.
The teen had originally posted the video on his own Instagram account on 12 March, according to the caption on a repost by the Singaporeincidents.sg Instagram page. The original account has since been set to private.
The footage quickly went viral, drawing widespread shock and concern among members of the public.
Police confirm the arrest
The Straits Times reported on 2 April that the Singapore Police Force, responding to queries, confirmed a police report had been lodged and that the teenager had been arrested.
iJooz, which operates a network of smart vending machines dispensing freshly squeezed orange juice, said it became aware of the circulating video on the evening of 24 March and lodged a police report the following day.
"On the evening of Mar 24, iJooz was made aware of a video that has been circulating on social media, of a youth who filmed himself licking a straw from an iJooz vending machine and placing the straw back in to the straw dispenser," the company told Channel NewsAsia on 27 March.
Immediate response and machine upgrades
In the immediate aftermath, iJooz said it had initiated internal checks, inspections, straw replacements, and machine sanitation protocols. The company described itself as "extremely apologetic and dismayed" that the incident had occurred and said it was working with police and other authorities.
iJooz told local media that it was also accelerating the broader rollout of upgraded vending machines across the island to address hygiene concerns raised by the incident.
Some newer machines are equipped with a sealed system that prevents straws from being left exposed, the company said. Additional protective features on upgraded machines include individually packaged straws and straw compartments that unlock only after a customer completes a transaction. Straw compartments on older iJooz machines are not locked.
School confirms enrolment, launches internal probe
Local media identified the teenager as a student at Essec Business School, located in the one-north precinct of Singapore. The school confirmed the student's enrolment but noted that the incident did not take place on campus. A school spokesperson said an internal investigation had been launched.
