SINGAPORE : It's "No Smoking" for more public places from
October 1.
Smokers won't be able to light up at bus shelters and interchanges,
public toilets, swimming complexes and stadiums and community
clubs.
And details of a ban at entertainment outlets will be out by
year-end.
That's not all - a decision on banning smoking at hawker centres
and coffeeshops - will be made by the end of the year.
Second-hand smoke is a silent killer, said MPs, who wanted more
protection for non-smokers.
Ms Indranee Rajah, MP for Tanjong Pagar GRC, said: "The problem
with smoking is that it does not just affect the smoker, the
second-hand cigarette smoke puts non-smokers at risk as well.
"Smoking is a tenacious and insidious form of chemical poisoning,
it kills more slowly than other chemicals but no less surely. I
therefore urge the minister to ban smoking at public places."
And the immediate reply was an extension of the ban to bus shelters
and interchanges and other public areas.
Entertainment outlets can also expect this too, and there is strong
public support for either a complete or partial ban.
Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, Environment & Water Resources Minister,
said: "The danger is higher in entertainment outlets. In fact, a
study in the journal of the American Medical Association has shown
that the level of second-hand smoke in pubs and bars can be up to
450 percent higher than in homes with at least one smoker.
"In the long-run, my ministry's intent is to move towards allowing
smoking only in private premises, wide-open spaces and designated
smoking areas."
At the same time, Dr Yaacob said the Ministry recognises operators'
concerns that the ban could affect business, so the National
Environment Agency will hold consultations to address these
concerns.
As for extending the ban to hawker centres and coffeeshops, Dr
Yaacob said public feedback is supportive of a partial ban as a
first step.
The ministry will work with the relevant hawkers and coffee shops
associations and make a decision by yearend. - CNA
