These innocent words from my two-year-old daughter during our weekly neighborhood cleanup activity struck a chord deep within me.
As a parent, I found myself questioning the environment we're creating for our children and the future they'll inherit. This simple observation from a child's perspective opened my eyes to a larger issue that affects not just my family, but our entire society.
In Singapore, we've made significant strides in many areas of public health and urban development. Our city-state is known for its cleanliness, efficiency, and forward-thinking policies. However, the prevalence of smoking and its associated litter remains a persistent challenge.
7 of 10 litter around the neighbour hood are cigarette butts. Even in areas where smoking are prohibited.
As we pick up cigarette butts from our streets and playgrounds, I can't help but wonder: Is this the legacy we want to leave for our children?
The Ubiquity of Secondhand Smoke
As a parent, I've become acutely aware of how pervasive smoking is in our daily lives. It's not just about the litter; it's about the constant exposure to secondhand smoke that my family faces:
Walking along sheltered areas, we often find ourselves enveloped in a cloud of smoke from someone walking ahead or standing nearby.
In carparks, especially near lift lobbies, it's common to encounter smokers taking a quick puff before heading home.
Even in our parks, where we go to enjoy nature and fresh air, we sometimes have to move away from other families or individuals who are smoking.
Most distressingly, within the confines of our own home, we are not spared. The smell of cigarette smoke often wafts in through our windows, coming from neighboring units or balconies.
This constant exposure to secondhand smoke is more than just an annoyance; it's a serious health concern, especially for young children whose bodies are still developing.
The Growing Problem
The issue seems to be getting worse, not better. According to the National Environment Agency (NEA), there has been a significant increase in smoking-related complaints. Over a six-month period, the NEA received about 21,000 instances of feedback related to smoking, secondhand smoke, and cigarette butt littering in HDB estates. This marks a 50% increase from the same period in 2019.
This surge is likely due to more people working from home during and after the Circuit Breaker period, leading to a higher concentration of people in residential areas. As a result, more of us are experiencing the negative effects of smoking in our living spaces.
Current Measures and Their Effectiveness
Singapore has implemented various measures to combat smoking and its effects:
Smoking Prohibition: Smoking is prohibited in most indoor public places and an increasing number of outdoor areas. The Orchard Road precinct, for instance, has been a no-smoking zone since January 2019, with designated smoking areas provided.
Tobacco Control Policies: These include bans on tobacco advertising, mandatory graphic health warnings on cigarette packs, and minimum legal age for tobacco purchase (raised to 21 years old in 2021).
Taxation: Singapore imposes high taxes on tobacco products to discourage consumption. In 2023, the government increased the excise duty on cigarettes by 15%, bringing it to SGD 0.491 per stick (Channel NewsAsia, 2023).
Public Education: Ongoing campaigns and educational programs aim to raise awareness about the dangers of smoking.
Smoking Cessation Support: The government provides various resources and support programs to help smokers quit.
While these measures have contributed to a gradual decline in smoking rates over the years, the persistence of smoking-related issues suggests that more can be done to create a truly smoke-free environment for our children.
The NEA has also enhanced its surveillance capabilities with thermal cameras that can detect objects emitting high heat and capture images of smoking offences. Since January 2019, 270 thermal camera deployments have been made, resulting in enforcement actions against about 100 offenders (Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment, 2020).
Despite these efforts, as a parent, I still feel that we're fighting an uphill battle. The sight of cigarette butts littering our neighborhoods, the smell of smoke in our common areas, and the constant worry about my child's exposure to harmful substances weigh heavily on my mind.
A Personal Struggle
As a parent, I find myself constantly on guard, trying to shield my child from the harmful effects of secondhand smoke. I've developed a heightened awareness of our surroundings, always on the lookout for potential smoke exposure. It's exhausting and, frankly, frustrating that this has become such a significant part of my parenting experience.
I've had to have difficult conversations with neighbors who smoke on their balconies, politely asking them to be mindful of the smoke drifting into our home. I've found myself hurrying my child past smokers on the street, or changing our route entirely to avoid smoke-filled areas. These small but frequent adjustments to our daily life add up, creating a constant undercurrent of stress and concern.
A Closer Look at Current Efforts and Future Possibilities
While Singapore has implemented various measures to combat smoking, there's still room for improvement. Let's examine the existing efforts and explore how we can enhance them:
1. Automated Detection and Fines
Current Efforts: The National Environment Agency (NEA) has been using thermal cameras to detect smoking in selected prohibited areas since January 2019. These cameras can detect objects emitting high heat and capture images of smoking offences. As of 2020, 270 thermal camera deployments had been made, resulting in enforcement actions against about 100 offenders.
The Orchard Road precinct has been a no-smoking zone since January 2019, with smoking allowed only in designated areas. This initiative has shown promise in reducing smoking in public spaces.
Room for Improvement: While these efforts are commendable, their scale could be expanded. The thermal camera deployments could be increased and extended to more residential areas, particularly those with persistent smoking issues. Additionally, the technology could be enhanced with AI capabilities to improve detection accuracy and efficiency.
I've heard of personal accounts on how effective NEA could be in enforcing cigarette butt littering in Orchard - the question is how can we bring similar enforcement processes to the neighbourhood?
Proposed Solution: Implement a wider network of AI-enhanced thermal cameras across residential areas, parks, and other public spaces. This could be coupled with an automated fine system, similar to the one used for littering in Orchard Road. Such a system could significantly increase the detection and enforcement of smoking violations, acting as a stronger deterrent.
2. Lifetime Ban on Tobacco
Current Situation: Singapore has not implemented a lifetime ban on tobacco sales to certain age groups but have raised minimum legal age from 18 to 21 in recent years. However, we can learn from New Zealand's bold attempt in this direction.
Proposed Solution: Studies have shown that reducing access to tobacco can reduce smoking rates. Besides raising minimum legal age for smoking, we can consider implementing a phased approach similar to New Zealand's 2022 law, which aimed to create a smoke-free generation by imposing a lifetime ban on young people buying cigarettes. While New Zealand's law was repealed in 2024, the concept is worth exploring in the Singapore context given the more stable political climate.
This could involve progressively increasing the minimum age for tobacco purchases each year, effectively creating a "smoke-free generation." For instance, if implemented in 2025, anyone born after 2004 would never be able to legally purchase tobacco products in Singapore.
3. Progressive Increase in Tobacco Tax
Current Efforts: Singapore has been using taxation as a tool to discourage smoking. In 2023, the government increased the excise duty on cigarettes by 15%, bringing it to SGD 0.491 per stick. This tax hike is expected to generate an additional SGD 100 million in annual revenue.
Room for Improvement: While the recent tax increase is a step in the right direction, there's potential for a more aggressive approach considering that tobacco products have inelastic demand.
Proposed Solution: Implement a progressive tobacco tax increase plan, similar to the CPF minimum sum increases, but more aggressive. This could involve annual increases in tobacco taxes over a set period, with the goal of making cigarettes prohibitively expensive.
For instance, we could aim to increase the tax burden from the current ~67% of retail price to 90% over the next ten years. This gradual but significant increase would give smokers time to adjust and potentially quit, while also providing a strong financial disincentive for potential new smokers.
Conclusion: Building a Smoke-Free Future Together
As we reflect on the challenges posed by smoking in our society, it's clear that while Singapore has made significant strides, there's still work to be done. The solutions we've explored - from enhanced automated detection and fines, to considering a lifetime ban on tobacco for future generations, and implementing progressive tax increases - can offer promising avenues for creating a cleaner, healthier environment for our children.
These measures, if implemented thoughtfully and comprehensively, have the potential to dramatically reduce smoking rates and secondhand smoke exposure in our communities. However, it's important to remember that policy changes alone are not enough. Real, lasting change requires a shift in societal attitudes and behaviors.
As parents, community members, and citizens, we all have a role to play in this transformation. Whether it's speaking up about smoke-free spaces, supporting our friends and family members who are trying to quit, or simply being mindful of how our actions affect those around us, each of us can contribute to building the future we want for our children.
The journey towards a smoke-free Singapore may be challenging, but it's a goal worth pursuing. Every step we take brings us closer to a world where our children can breathe easier, play freely in public spaces without exposure to harmful smoke, and grow up in an environment that truly prioritizes their health and well-being.
Let's commit to this vision together. For our children, for our communities, and for the future of Singapore, let's work towards a day when cigarette butts and secondhand smoke are relics of the past, not daily realities. The clean, healthy future our children deserve is within our reach - we just need the collective will to grasp it.