Under The Angsana Tree: No smoking in your own homes?

Majority supportive of proposed smoking ban in homes but question enforcement

Earlier this week, Members of Parliament have called for a ban on smoking in HDB homes, citing residents’ complaints about second-hand smoke and the various health risks associated with it.

This comes as Parliament passed amendments to the Smoking (Prohibition in Certain Places) Act on September 10. The Act allows authorities to designate more no-smoking zones and give officers more enforcement powers.

Amid concerns of intrusion into private spaces, the majority of respondents in our recent survey indicate that they are supportive of the smoking ban. Based on a recent poll survey on our Instagram account, over 60% of our respondents agreed that smoking should be banned in HDB homes.

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The Straits Times 6 July 2017

Should smoking be completely banned in HDB flats or can it be allowed as long as the smoke does not enter another flat? Tell us what you think below.

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MPs raise option of banning smoking in homes; Senior Minister of State cautions against intruding privacy

In one of the more drastic measures suggested in Parliament, some politicians expressed their belief that banning smoking inside residential flats are a totally viable idea.

Thankfully for smokers in Singapore, Senior Minister of State for Health Amy Khor shot down the idea yesterday, cautioning against the intrusion of privacy in homes.

The Straits Times reported that seven Members of Parliament (MPs) have urged for stronger action against smokers in residential flats, as the secondhand smoke affects their neighbors when it wafts over to their homes.

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MPs, citing dangers of secondhand smoke, want to curb smoking in homes

Members of Parliament (MP) have urged authorities to curb smoking in homes, citing residents' complaints about second-hand smoke wafting into their flats and the health risks associated with it.

This comes as Parliament on Monday (Sep 10) passed amendments to the Smoking (Prohibition in Certain Places) Act, which allow the Government to designate more no-smoking zones & give officers more enforcement powers. But the MPs said the Bill failed to address secondhand smoke from neighbours' homes.

"We are now doing a lot to protect people from secondhand smoke in public areas," Nee Soon GRC MP Louis Ng said. "But the concern which has been raised in this House before is: What are we doing to protect people from secondhand smoke in their own homes?"

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The case for smoke-free HDB housing

Smokers at one of the 6 designated smoking points installed at Nee Soon South. Smoke-free housing paves a way to harmonious living by minimising conflict between smoking and non-smoking neighbours. TODAY FILE FOTO

With the “Smoke-free zone in Nee Soon South piloted” (Jan 6), I wish to present the case for smoke-free housing. Let me stress that smoke-free housing is not targeted at smokers, but at smoking in ways that harm other people.

More than 90% of Singaporeans live in Housing &Development Board (HDB) flats & private apartments. Nearly one in four male Singaporeans aged 18 to 69 is a smoker and smoking rates are rising. It is hard not to be exposed to drifting second-hand smoke at home.

Can closing all doors & windows solve the problem, even if one is willing to pay hefty air-conditioning bills? Second-hand smoke can spread to a non-smoking area, even if the doors between 2 areas are closed.

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NEA officers get more powers to investigate smoking violations

A designated smoking area in front of Far East Plaza. NEA has been given the power to officially designate Orchard Road as a non-smoking zone, as the precinct prepares to ban public smoking by the end of the year. ST FILE FOTO

Officers from the National Environment Agency (NEA) will be able to enter smoking-prohibited places without warrants to investigate smoking violations, & it will be illegal to obstruct or prevent them from collecting evidence.

NEA was also given the power to officially designate Orchard Road as a non-smoking zone, as the precinct prepares to ban public smoking by the end of the year.

In presenting the amendments to the Smoking (Prohibition in Certain Places) Act, which were passed yesterday, Senior Minister of State for Health Amy Khor said the increased powers for officers were needed to ensure that NEA could effectively maintain Singapore's smoking bans.

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NEA officers to get greater powers to enforce no-smoking rules, S’pore could get more no-smoking zones

National Environment Agency (NEA) officers will be given greater enforcement powers to enter smoking-prohibited places such as nightclubs & pubs to investigate smoking-related offences, after a Bill to amend the Smoking (Prohibition in Certain Places) Act was passed in Parliament on Monday (Sep 10).

The changes could also see the agency implement smoking bans in certain areas in Singapore.

Detailing the changes to the Act, Dr Amy Khor, Senior Minister of State for the Environment & Water Resources, said that NEA officers will be given powers to enter, without a warrant, smoking-prohibited places to investigate instances when the rules have been flouted.

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NEA will use cameras to detect illegal smoking - here's how it could work

A thermal camera system detecting a person smoking. (Photo: Transmex Systems International via Dahua)

The thermal cameras that could be deployed to detect smoking in prohibited areas would likely be able to capture high definition images of your face from as far as 100m away, an industry expert said.

These pan-tilt-zoom cameras can also track offenders on the move & operate both day & night, said Mr Kenneth Tan, sales director at Transmex Systems International (TSI), a security solutions provider that deals in surveillance systems for law enforcement.

In her closing speech following a Parliamentary debate on the Smoking (Prohibition in Certain Places) (Amendment) Bill on Sep 10, Senior Minister of State for the Environment & Water Resources Amy Khor said the National Environment Agency (NEA) is exploring "the use of thermal cameras to deter indiscriminate smoking".

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Cameras to be deployed across island to detect illegal smoking

Cameras deployed in areas where smoking is prevalent but barred will record images of the person as well as the date and time. FOTO: ST FILE

Taking a puff in non-smoking areas without getting caught is about to get a lot harder.

The National Environmental Agency (NEA) intends to deploy surveillance cameras around the island with high definition thermal sensors to help detect smoking in prohibited areas.

Smoking is now prohibited in an estimated 32,000 premises & locations, such as entertainment outlets, shopping malls, office premises, hospitals, schools, cinemas, bus-stops, covered walkways, lift lobbies, stairwells & entrances to buildings.

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NEA Cameras Will Likely Come With Facial Recognition Capability

NEA’s High Cameras Are So High Tech That They Can Recognise You

Is the Government going too far in its effort to curb smoking? First, MPs considered a ban on smoking in homes.

And now, there might be thermal cameras to deter illegal smoking. Senior Minister for Health Dr Amy Khor announced this last week.

Before we go into the privacy concerns, let’s explore this new thermal camera.

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No smoke without regulations: Rules on smoking you might want to know

The National Environment Agency (NEA) will not be accepting applications for new smoking corners in any food retail establishments islandwide with immediate effect. ST FOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG

From this Sunday (Oct 1), smoking will be banned in the outdoor areas of universities & within the compounds of private institutions, though it will be allowed at designated smoking areas.

Smoking will also be banned within 5m of schools like preschools, madrasahs, junior colleges & polytechnics, said the National Environment Agency on Tuesday (Sep 26).

Excursion buses, trishaws & private-hire cars used by firms such as Grab and Uber will also be added to the list of places where smoking is not allowed.

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Smoking Prohibition

Smoking prohibition in Singapore, first introduced in 1970 is part of the national effort to promote a smoke-free lifestyle in Singapore and NEA has been gradually expanding the list of smoke-free places covered under the Smoking (Prohibition in Certain Places) Act in consultation with the public and relevant stakeholders.

The Government’s long-term policy goal is to prohibit smoking in all public areas, except at Designated Smoking Areas, to protect non-smokers from the harmful effects of second-hand tobacco smoke. We seek to reach this goal by progressively extending the Smoking (Prohibition in Certain Places) Act to more public places where the public are more likely to be exposed every day to second-hand tobacco smoke.

Given the large number of places where smoking is prohibited, it is not possible for NEA to deploy officers to watch over all these locations at all times. Operators and premises managers are required under the law to stop patrons, visitors and staff from smoking in such prohibited areas or request that they leave the premises. We wish to remind smokers to be socially responsible and be considerate when smoking in public places and to smoke only in areas where smoking is not prohibited. The community can also play an active role by reminding smokers not to light up in smoking prohibited places.

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MPs raise banning smoking in one’s own HDB flat

The MPs were responding to amendments passed by Parliament to the Smoking (Prohibition in Certain Places) Act on Monday, Sept. 10, which would allow the government to set aside more no-smoking zones and give National Environment Agency (NEA) officers more enforcement powers.

MPs said more can be done to protect residents from secondhand smoke in their own homes, reported Channel NewsAsia.

Nee Soon GRC MP Louis Ng said while the government is “doing a lot to protect people from secondhand smoke in public places”, more has to be done to “protect people from secondhand smoke in their own homes”.

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S’poreans react strongly to proposed curbing of smoking inside one’s own HDB flat

You might have heard all the hoo-ha about potential measures to curb smoking inside your house.

And the potential repercussions have captured the imaginations of your average Singaporeans, who have quite a bit to say about it.

Let’s begin with this anecdote about how the smoke from her upstairs neighbours comes down to her apartment.

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Singaporeans stifled by number of rules imposed; fuelled by possible ban of smoking in homes

After discussions of the possible ban of smoking even in one’s home, Singaporeans have taken to the Internet to express concerns of being stifled by all of the regulations they gripe that are imposed on them. The bid to curb smoking in HDB flats has also once again triggered issues of home ownership, with many questioning, “After all, HDB flats do not belong to us, right?”

Online ‘meme’s can be seen flooding social media expressing concerns that Singaporeans face.

One netizen, Dan, took to Facebook with a meme about apartment blocks in the future as he saw it, where the blocks were being divided into ‘smoking blocks’ and ‘non-smoking blocks’. His projection was complete with a designated yellow box around the entire block to indicate the area in which people are allowed to smoke.

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Smoking Prohibition in Singapore

In Singapore, it is an offence to smoke in a place listed as prohibited in the Smoking (Prohibition in Certain Places) Act.

For a comprehensive list of the prohibited places, see the First and Second Schedule of the Smoking (Prohibition in Certain Places) Notification.

Generally smoking is banned on public transport. It is also prohibited in most indoor areas, such as cinemas, shopping malls, and food courts.

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MPs raise option of banning smoking in homes; Senior Minister of State cautions against intruding privacy

Dr. Khor responded to the MPs concerns by reminding that an “intrusive regulatory approach” could be detrimental to community harmony, ST quoted her as saying.

“If we were to prohibit smoking in one’s own home, it would inevitably entail bringing to bear the necessary investigation and enforcement powers,” she said, adding that such a measure cannot be taken lightly.

“Homes are private spaces; we need to be mindful that not everyone would support the view that the Government should intrude into one’s private space on the issue of smoking”.

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When MPs Suggested Banning Smoking in Homes, We Laughed. Out Loud

Nothing beats going home and hiding in my room after a long day at work. In there, I can be shielded from the prying eyes of our judgemental society as I unleash the pre-pubescent boy in me by logging on to Neopets. My Kacheek isn’t going to feed itself, you know.

Home is the one place where we can seek literal refuge and do whatever it is we want to do, be it play a computer game, sip on a cup of tea, or unwind with a cigarette by the window, the latter of which was raised in Parliament on Monday. During the discussion, Members of Parliament from several GRCs spoke of their desire for the relevant authorities to clamp down on smoking in HDB flats, with second-hand smoke wafting into the flats of non-smoking neighbours being a main concern.

It is perfectly understandable how this sounds like a reasonable idea to implement. As a non-smoker, I wouldn’t want my airspace to be plagued with carcinogens just because my next-door neighbour channels his inner Don Draper by going through five packs of cigarettes a day. On what planet would that be fair?

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National Environment Agency officers to be granted authority to enter private spaces at will and enforce smoking prohibitions through new Bill

Following the passing of an amendment of the Smoking (Prohibition in Certain Places) Act through a Bill in Parliament on Monday (10 Sep), officers of the National Environment Agency (NEA) will be given greater authority to enter private premises that fall under the smoking ban, including entertainment spaces such as pubs and nightclubs, without warrants for their investigations, and to enforce anti-smoking regulations subsequently.

Senior Minister of State for Health Dr Amy Khor rationalised the move by saying that the increased powers will ensure the effectiveness of the pre-existing anti-smoking laws.

"NEA can invoke the power of entry at all reasonable times, such as the operating hours of the place, or at any time if there is reasonable belief that an offence under the Act has been committed there," she announced.

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Proposed Smoking Ban in HDB Flats: Prepare for More Erosion of Home-Ownership Rights

A chill was raised when Nee Soon MP Louis Ng proposed that people be banned from smoking in HDB flats – what happened to our rights as home-owners? A different type of chill was raised when Tanjong Pagar MP Joan Pereira opened her gap – how dense can a MP get? Apparently pretty dense. Her blonde-worthy solution to the issue of smoking at home:

“Windows and doors should be closed when smoking … If smoke is detected outside of the flat, the resident should then be considered to have violated the law.”

But dumb brunette quotes aside, the serious issue here is how much of our rights are we signing away to the government? The complaint against smoking in flats follow this line of thought:

cigarette smoke is unpleasant
2nd-hand smoke may be harmful to health
smokers should not be allowed to spread their smoke for those reasons

Is that sufficient reason to allow the government to dictate what we can and cannot do in our own flats? Because if so, we’re headed for a very slippery slope where the only losers are flat-owners.

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‘Quit Smoking To Save Money’ Video By Non-Smoker Goes Viral

We all know that smoking harms your body, but in Singapore, it’s especially harmful to your wallet as well. That’s because of the 60% tobacco tax levied on cigarettes.

But do smokers know how much they save by not smoking?

A non-smoker decided to answer this question by demonstrating how much one could save by quitting cigarettes for 13 months.

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New anti-smoking rules from June 1: What you need to know

The Govt's long-term goal is to snuff out smoking in all public areas to protect non-smokers from second-hand smoke. FOTO: ST FILE

From Wednesday (Jun 1), reservoirs and more than 400 parks, including those in private and public housing estates, have been added to the list of smoke-free areas.

Previously, smoking was prohibited in 32,000 places such as shopping malls, cinemas & hospitals.

The new move comes 3 years after the smoking ban was extended to common areas, such as void decks, sheltered walkways and linkways, and any area within a 5m radius of a bus stop.

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Sure, let’s ban people in S’pore from smoking in their homes. What does that say about us?

The Internet blew up when Members of Parliament in Singapore suggested that the authorities consider not letting people smoke in their own homes.

The justification was that there have been a rise in complaints from residents regarding secondhand smoke from their neighbours.

Here are some reactions to news that MPs mooted the idea of possibly restricting smoking in one’s own place of residence.

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MP Lee Bee Wah claim credit for designated smoking point “idea”

MP for Nee Soon, Lee Bee Wah, claimed credit for installing 50 designated smoking points in Nee Soon South. The “idea” by PAP MP Lee Bee Wah has materialised at 50 HDB blocks, that encourages smokers to smoke within the smoking points.

“This is a win-win situation for residents. Non-smokers have said the amount of secondary smoke had gone down, while smokers have cooperated. The amount of litter caused by smoking has also reduced significantly. There was positive feedback from grassroots leaders, so they decided to roll out more of them. At the busiest smoking point, around 200 cigarette butts could be collected in a day.”

Costing S$500,000 in total for the 50 smoking points, the PAP MP claimed that the cost was funded by 27 individuals and private companies. PAP MP Lee Bee Wah said that she would like her “idea” to be implemented island-wide, but did not go further explaining who is to pay for the S$10,000-each smoking point.

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Smoking in Singapore

Smoking in Singapore was first banned in buses, cinemas and theaters in September 1970, and it was extended to indoor locations where it is frequented by most people on August 1977. After the King's Cross fire in 1987, smoking was banned in the Singapore MRT.

On 1 July 2005, the ban was extended to bus interchanges and shelters, public toilets and public swimming complexes whereas from 1 July 2006, the ban was extended to coffee shops and hawker centres.
On 1 July 2007, the ban was extended to entertainment nightspots, including pubs, bars, lounges, dance clubs, and night clubs. The owner of the premises is legally responsible for the non-smoking of the customers. The law allows for the construction of designated smoking rooms which can take up to 10% of the total indoor space, or outdoor smoking areas that do not exceed 20% of the outdoor refreshment area.
On 1 January 2009, the ban was extended to all children's playgrounds, exercise areas, markets, underground and multi-story car parks, ferry terminals and jetties. It was also extended to non-air-conditioned areas in offices, factories, shops, shopping complexes and lift lobbies, and within 5 metres (16 ft) of entrances and exits
On 22 November 2010, citizens of Singapore supported the Towards Tobacco-Free Singapore online campaign. The campaign promotes a proposal (which was published in the British medical journal Tobacco Control) to prevent the supply of tobacco to Singaporeans born from the year 2000 which would result in a gradual phasing-out of tobacco in Singapore. The launch was put forward by a team consisting of a lung cancer surgeon, medical officers, a university professor and a civil servant.
On 15 January 2013, the ban was extended to all common areas of the residential block including link ways from bus stops to residential blocks, void decks, corridors, stairwells, stairways and multi-purpose halls, in addition to covered walkways and link ways, all pedestrian overhead bridges, 5 m from the bus stops and hospital outdoor compounds. However, the residential block smoking ban was not mandatory as there are more people smoking except when during wakes or funerals.

Smokers found flouting the rules are fined a minimum 200 Singapore dollars up to a maximum of S$1000 if convicted in court, while the managers of the establishments are fined S$200 for a first offence, and S$500 for a subsequent offence. Singapore is famous for being clean, with enforced penalties for littering; cigarette butt littering is one of the greatest high-rise littering problems. Staff working for certain government sectors, such as the National Recycling Program, are not allowed to smoke while carrying out their duties.

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