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Singapore Health Promotion Board receives support for proposed amendments to Smoking Act

Source: Government of Singapore
Posted on: 7th October 2009

The Singapore Health Promotion Board (HPB), in partnership with Health Science Authority (HSA), conducted a public consultation exercise, from 3 – 28 August 2009, on proposed amendments to the Smoking (Control of Advertisements and Sale of Tobacco) Act and other smoking control measures.

The public consultation exercise on the proposed changes to the Smoking (Control of Advertisements and Sale of Tobacco) Act received 171 responses. Respondents included individuals, tobacco manufacturers, importers and retailers, healthcare professionals and majority were in support of the proposed changes, with many providing suggestions to enhance smoking control measures.

The proposed amendments include:

  • removing the exemption which allows tobacco company sponsorship
  • lowering maximum tar and nicotine limits
  • empowering the Health Minister to prohibit harmful tobacco products
  • increasing fines for underage smokers
  • reviewing criteria for licensing of tobacco retailers
  • banning misleading labelling and replacing the existing tar and nicotine label with a new health message
  • and requiring new packaging for cigarillos.

Members of the public and relevant parties were invited to submit their feedback via an e-consultation portal. A total of 171 responses were received.

HPB and HSA would like to thank all respondents for their feedback and suggestions. The details of the public feedback including HPB’s and HSA’s responses to the key issues raised are available here.

SUMMARY OF FEEDBACK ON PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE SMOKING (CONTROL OF ADVERTISEMENTS AND SALE OF TOBACCO) ACT AND OTHER SMOKING CONTROL MEASURES

Members of the public were invited to submit their feedback via an e-consultation portal, email and post. Additional comments were received through call-ins during radio programmes that discussed the public consultation.

  • An industry briefing session was also conducted to further communicate proposed amendments of relevance to the tobacco industry.
  • The proposed changes include removing the exemption which allows tobacco company sponsorship; lowering maximum tar and nicotine limits; empowering the Health Minister to prohibit harmful tobacco products; increasing minimum composition fine and maximum court fines for underage smokers; reviewing criteria for licensing of tobacco retailers; banning misleading labelling and replacing the tar and nicotine label with a new health message; and requiring new packaging for cigarillos.
  • A total of 171 responses were received, with 131 responses from individuals; 12 from tobacco manufacturers, importers and retailers; 7 from medical and other healthcare professionals; 4 from public agencies; 4 from community, voluntary or non profit organisations; 1 from the pharmaceutical industry and 12 from other categories that were not specified.
  • Majority of respondents were in support of the proposed changes, with many providing suggestions to enhance smoking control measures.
  • A summary of the feedback received is as follows:
  • 87% supported the controlling of alternative forms of tobacco products. Of these, 54% supported a total ban and 33% supported regulating these products.
  • 88% felt that alternative forms of tobacco are of great public health concern. Shisha was highlighted as the product of most concern under the smoked tobacco product category.
  • More than 50% supported the proposed changes in fines for the underage offenders, with a majority suggesting heftier increases. Less than 40% did not support the increases while approximately 10% were undecided.
  • 92% supported reviewing the criteria to disallow premises from selling tobacco products. 5% did not support prohibiting the sale of tobacco products at petrol service stations.
  • 90% provided suggestions on misleading terms which they felt should be prohibited. 60% also provided suggestions to further control tobacco product packaging and labelling.
  • 68% supported replacing the tar and nicotine label with a general health message.
  • 62% supported regulating cigarillos by requiring them to be sold in packs of minimum 20 sticks.
  • 90% of all respondents proposed additional measures to reduce the smoking rate in Singapore. Suggestions include extending smoking bans to cover more public areas such as HDB void decks, public walkways, within vehicles and HDB homes, enhancing enforcement and increasing taxation.
  • The details of the public feedback including HPB’s and HSA’s responses to the key issues raised are summarised in Annex A.
  • HPB and HSA would like to thank all respondents for their feedback and suggestions.

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