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Health officials seek public views on proposed amendments to Smoking Act  

SINGAPORE: Underage smokers who get caught lighting up could soon face fines of up to S$500.

This is one of several proposed changes to the Smoking Act, aimed at reversing the rising trend of smoking in young adults aged 18-29 years.

Other proposed amendments include lowering tar and nicotine levels, and prohibiting shisha and other harmful alternative forms of tobacco.

If the proposals go through, retailers will have their tobacco licences revoked the first time they are caught selling cigarettes to underage youths in school uniforms or to those under the age of 12.

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Singapore seizes 100,000 packets of illegal cigarettes 

Singapore customs seized 100,000packets of illegal cigarettes worth an estimated 1 million Singapore dollars (about 0.69 million U.S. dollars) on Wednesday.

According to local TV broadcaster Channel NewsAsia, Singapore customs crushed a cigarette smuggling syndicate at a local industrial park, arresting three Singaporeans and three Malaysians aged between 24 and 50 years who are suspected to be involved in the case.

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Singapore to host the 15th World Conference on Tobacco or Health in 2012  

The next World Conference on Tobacco or Health (WCTOH) - the 15th conference - will be held in Singapore for the first time, in 2012. The expected number of delegates for the conference in 2012 is estimated to be between 2,000 to 3,000 persons. . . .

5 The Health Promotion Board of Singapore will spearhead the organization of WCTOH 2012, to be held at the Suntec Singapore International Convention and Exhibition Centre. Singapore’s successful bid to host the 15th WCTOH was supported by Singapore Exhibition and Convention Bureau (SECB), a group of the Singapore Tourism Board (STB); numerous local government and non-government organizations; as well as several regional and international tobacco control organizations.

6 The proposed scientific programme of the 15th WCTOH will build on the WHO (World Health Organization) 2008 call to action for all countries to implement the MPOWER strategies to achieve the overarching aim of reversing the global tobacco epidemic. (More information on MPOWER is listed in the Annex document).

7 In order to spur countries into action for the next phase in tobacco control’s history, the 15th WCTOH has four goals:

• facilitate learning and collaboration among multi-sectoral tobacco control advocates, especially building capacity to tackle emerging issues;

• galvanize existing partners and foster new leadership, especially in countries where tobacco control efforts are lagging behind;

• encourage debate and advocate for evidence-based and innovative strategies on tobacco control, especially for the hard-to-reach; and,

• share lessons learnt on creating an enabling environment to implement the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control within diverse settings.

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Retailer's licence suspended for selling cigarettes to underaged youth  

A tobacco retailer at Woodlands Avenue 7 has had his retail licence suspended after an employee was caught selling cigarettes to underaged youths for the second time.

The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) said the licence of Hub Seng Huat Newspapers Agency has been suspended for six months from last Saturday.

On March 20, an employee was caught selling cigarettes to an underaged youth and was fined S$2,000. In August last year, another employee from the shop was also caught committing the same offence.

Hub Seng Huat Newspapers Agency is the second tobacco retailer to have its licence suspended this year.

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LETTER: Smoking = blindness 

WE APPLAUD the Health Promotion Board's anti-smoking campaign this year, targeting youth and focusing on the many benefits of abstaining from smoking ('New theme to keep youth from smoking', April 29).

We are concerned about the increase in smoking prevalence from 12.6 per cent in 2004 to 13.6 per cent in 2007. In particular, smokers aged between 18 and 29 increased by about 5 percentage points over the same period to 17.2 per cent.

As eye-care professionals, we wish to highlight a novel health message that has not been sufficiently emphasised and exploited locally.

Cigarette smoking has been associated with two common sight-threatening disorders, namely age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and cataract. . . .

We urge eye-care professionals to share this message with their clients and patients, and provide advice on quitting to smokers.

Dr Au Eong Kah Guan, Ophthalmologist

Miss Quah Hui Min, Optometrist, Singapore International Eye Cataract Retina Centre

Mr David Chong, President, Singapore Optometric Association

Mr Steve Lim, President, Singapore Opticianry Practitioners

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Cabby smokes blatantly and spits on the road while driving 

STOMPer Dave was disgusted by the behaviour of this cabby, who smoked and spat on the road while driving.

This STOMPer says:

"I caught this cabby smoking and talking to the taxi driver beside him while waiting at a traffic junction.

" He also opened the door and spat outside on the road.

"His behaviour was very gross!"

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• Online counselling to be mandatory for underaged smokers 

The National Health Surveillance Survey 2007 showed that 13.6 per cent of Singapore residents aged 18 to 69 smoked daily, compared to 12.6 per cent in 2004.

The survey also found that about one in four males smoked daily, compared with one in 27 females. The males were lighting up 13 cigarettes a day on average, compared to nine cigarettes for females.

Furthermore, daily smoking was most prevalent in young adults aged 18 to 29, with many of them experimenting with cigarettes at the age of 16.

Hence, there is going to be a revamp of the mandatory counselling framework for underaged first--time smoking offenders.

From May 1, first--time offenders will be required to undergo a mandatory brief online intervention that encourages them to consider quitting smoking. There will also be more concerted efforts to reach upper primary level students.

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Who cares whether people smoke outside designated areas? 

STOMPer James spotted this man smoking outside the designated smoking area at this Geylang Bahru market and feels his behaviour is inappropriate. James also wonders who is responsible for making sure this rule is enforced.

He says:

"Attached photos were taken from Block 69 Geylang Bahru market and hawker center on the morning of Apr 27.

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Smokers unaware shisha smoking covered under NEA's regulations 

Some smokers in Singapore are not aware that shisha smoking is covered under the National Environment Agency's (NEA's) smoking regulations.

And those who flout the rules can be fined if they are caught smoking shisha in prohibited areas, such as restaurants and hawker centres. . . .

NEA says smoking is not allowed at food and entertainment outlets, and this applies to all types of tobacco products, including shisha.

However, many shisha smokers say they are unaware of this rule and the S$200 fine that comes with it.

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Cigarette smuggler jailed 

A MAN was packed off to prison for 6 1/2 years on Wednesday for dealing in more than 5,000kg of contraband cigarettes last December.

Hazrin Abdul Halim, 36, then a safety manager, pleaded guilty to dealing in uncustomed cigarettes weighing 5,270kg in three vehicles at Tanah Merah Coast Road carpark on Dec 14, and 40kg of duty-unpaid cigarettes at a Pasir Ris condominium the next day. . . .

A district court heard that on Dec 10, he was approached by an acquaintance to transport cigarettes from Tanah Merah Coast Road carpark to a warehouse at Kaki Bukit Road 2 on Dec 14.

He agreed. He rented two trucks and enlisted the help of an acquaintance, Syed Fauzee Syed Mohammad Alsagoff, to transport the uncustomed goods.

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Smoke or not smoke? MRT bin has ashtray with 'no-smoking' label 

STOMPer COG says this dustbin is confusing, as it is fitted with an ashtray and has a 'No Smoking' sticker pasted on it as well.

The STOMPer said:

"We realise that some of the dustbins with ashtrays always become a non-official smoking point.

"Most of the smokers make use of this spot to enjoy smoking.

But at this MRT station, we saw the dustbin with an ashtray, which also displayed the 'No Smoking, sign.

"It is confusing -- to smoke or not to smoke?"

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Actress Pam Oei turns anti-smoking counsellor 

Pam Oei is one of Singapore's best loved comedians, but these days she is counselling people with a problem that is no laughing matter - giving up smoking.

The actress herself finally quit three years ago after 17 years of being addicted to cigarettes.

Forget shock tactics such as the gory pictures of cancer-ravaged faces on the packets of cigarettes. Her secret: counselling treatment in Britain. Oei, famous for her madcap Dolly persona in the Dim Sum musicals, strikes a serious note as she tells Life! the treatment helped her to address the reasons she smoked.

Says the actress, who picked up smoking in her junior-college days: 'I tried everything, from nicotine patches to pills and acupuncture. It never worked.'

Now, after her success with the internationally famous Allen Carr method, the ciggie-free Oei wants to help others give up for good, too.

In December, she became the sole franchisee here for the method, after training for two years under the long-distance guidance of a mentor in London.

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Most fires sparked by people 

MORE than nine in 10 of the record 339 bush fires in the first 53 days of this year were man-made.

The fires were started by people who carelessly tossed lit cigarette butts into vegetated areas or left behind candles and other burnt offerings at makeshift altars.

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Man runs amok on Qantas flight after caught smoking in toilet 

A MAN kicked walls and broke free from restraints before finally being subdued after attempting to smoke on a Qantas flight.

Qantas cabin crew restrained the burly man, believed to be in his 40s, after a toilet smoke alarm went off, the Courier Mail reports.

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900 caught since smoking ban 

MORE than 900 smokers were caught puffing in out-of-bound areas, a month after the nationwide smoking ban was widened to cover more public places.

About half of them were picked up by plainclothes enforcement officers from the National Environment Agency (NEA) in the first week after the ban took effect on Jan 1, an average of 69 per day.

Most of those caught were smoking in newly banned places, which now include areas such as non-air-conditioned offices, hotel lobbies, multi-storey carparks and places within 5m of the entrances and exits of buildings.

Their excuse: they forgot that the new rules had kicked in.

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