Young Singaporeans oppose proposed flavor ban

Recently proposed anti-smoking regulations have been largely welcomed by young adult Singaporeans in a small survey conducted by The Sunday Times and reported on in The Straits Times. But they don’t like the idea that flavored cigarettes could be banned.

Health authorities in Singapore are looking to raise the legal smoking age from 18 to 21, to ban the sale of flavored tobacco products, to impose standardized packaging for tobacco products and to modify graphic health warnings.

Singapore has announced already that it is to require by 2017 that tobacco products be placed behind cabinets, curtains or screens in retail shops.

Last month, the Health Promotion Board, the Ministry of Health and the Health Sciences Authority began a 12-week public consultation exercise on the proposed rules.

Almost all of the 50 people polled by The Sunday Times – half of them smokers and aged between 18 and 21 – were in favor of at least one of the new proposals.

About three in four respondents said raising the legal smoking age to 21 could stop more people from starting the habit.

However, some of the proposed measures seem to be unpopular among young people, with the possible ban on flavored cigarettes receiving the most flak.