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Excerpt of Statement by Dr Yaacob
Ibrahim, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources on 8 MARCH
2005 |
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"I shall
now address the issue of the ban on smoking in public places. |
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"The
Government has always viewed smoking as a serious health issue. We have put in
place measures to discourage smoking and protect non-smokers against the
harmful effects of second-hand smoke. |
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"These
measures have been effective in bringing down the proportion of smokers in the
population. Currently, only 14% of our population are smokers, down from 18%
in 1992. This decrease is particularly significant for males. Among males aged
18-69, the proportion of smokers has decreased from 33% to 24%. |
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"However,
we see a worrying trend of young females picking up smoking. Over the same
period, the proportion of smokers among females aged 18-24 almost tripled from
2.8% to 8.2%, in contrast to a reduction from 29% to 24% for males in the same
age group! |
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"We must
continue to act decisively against smoking and in particular, make extra
effort to stop the young from picking up the habit. The Minister for Finance
has already announced an increase in excise duty on cigarettes to discourage
smoking. In parallel, my Ministry is reviewing the ban on smoking in public
places. |
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"The
Government introduced the ban on smoking way back in 1970, initially in public
buses, cinemas and theatres. |
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"This was
progressively extended to many other public areas including lifts [1973],
amusement centres [1982], fast-food outlets [1988], air-conditioned
restaurants [1989], air-conditioned barbershops and hair dressing salons
[1992], air-conditioned workplaces [1994], queues in public places [1995] and
air-conditioned shops [1997]. |
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"The reason
I am reiterating these is to demonstrate that the Government has committed
itself to increasingly protect non-smokers from the effects of smoking. |
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"The ban on
smoking was not always welcomed by smokers and businesses. Smokers were
inconvenienced and businesses could be affected. But businesses adapted. The
Government had to press on, because we know we have a duty to protect the
health of our non-smokers... |
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"Mdm
Cynthia Phua has asked if we will extend the ban on smoking to even more
public areas in the future. In view of the dangers posed by second-hand smoke,
my answer to Mdm Phua's question is "Yes". |
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"I am
therefore announcing that the Government intends to further extend the ban on
smoking in a number of public areas. |
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"Today, the
ban on smoking in public swimming complexes, open air stadia and community
clubs is enforced as a house rule. My Ministry will officially extend the ban
on smoking to public swimming complexes, open air stadia and community clubs
by 1 Oct 2005. |
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"Currently,
smoking is also banned in queues as it is difficult for non-smokers in queues
to avoid second-hand smoke. For the same reason, we will be extending the ban
to bus shelters, bus interchanges and public toilets by 1 Oct 2005. |
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"My
Ministry also plans to extend the ban on smoking to entertainment outlets such
as pubs, bars, discos, nightclubs and KTV lounges... |
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"My
Ministry recognizes the concerns of operators who fear that a ban on smoking
could affect patronage and result in a drop in business income. NEA will be
consulting operators and trade associations to address their concerns and
explore measures to mitigate any possible business impact before the ban is
announced later this year. |
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"NEA will
consult the relevant business associations on extending the smoking ban to
hawker centres and coffee shops. A decision on the ban on smoking in hawker
centres and coffee shops will be made by the end of this year after all the
consultations have been completed. |
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"My
Ministry will continue to review the list of public places as and when
necessary so as to better protect the health of our population from the threat
of second-hand smoke. The public also recognizes the risks posed by
second-hand smoke. |
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"In the
long-run, my Ministry's intent is to do away with the need for an exhaustive
list and move towards allowing smoking only in private premises, wide open
spaces and designated smoking areas." |
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Full Text of Statement |
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Source:
Ministry of the Environment & Water Resources
News Release 8 Mar 2005 |
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Related
Articles: |
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Smoking ban in eating places starts today (1 Jul 2006) |
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Hawker centres, coffeeshops and cafes prepare for
smoking ban |
Smoking ban to cover more public places from 1 Oct 2005
