Jump to full article: AsiaOne (sg), 2009-08-24
Intro: THEY were caught for littering and fined $300 each last month. Their offence: Throwing away cigarette butts after smoking.
What's shocking is their age: They were only 12.
Underage habitual smokers Rina and Candy (not their real names) picked up the habit last year - when they were 11.
The friends started out of curiosity but soon got hooked. When they were caught, they were smoking at least a cigarette a day.
Their parents only found out when National Parks Board (NParks) rangers caught the girls three weeks ago in Ang Mo Kio.
Smoking by anyone below 18 is an offence, but NParks did not take action as underage smoking falls under the purview of the Health Sciences Authority (HSA). . . .
from 20 per cent in 1984 to 13 per cent in 2004, it has gone up again in the last three years to 14 per cent.
This has prompted the Health Promotion Board (HPB) to consider stiffer penalties and other amendments to tobacco regulations.
Jump to full article » |