Tobacco smoking is prohibited in more than 32,000 premises and locations in Singapore, including shopping malls, offices, hospitals, schools, parks, bus stops and common areas of residential buildings, according to a story in the Straits Times.
Singapore’s already extensive smoking bans were added to on October 1 after which smoking was prohibited within five meters of public places, such as the outdoor areas of universities and the compounds of private institutions, with the exception of designated smoking areas.
The new rules banned smoking within a five-meter radius of kindergartens, childcare centres, primary and secondary schools, junior colleges, polytechnics and the campuses of institutes of technical education.
They banned from smoking private-hire car drivers and passengers, and passengers in trishaws and excursion buses.
It was already illegal for trishaw riders and excursion bus drivers to smoke while working.
The Times said that verbal warnings had been given to 772 smokers who lit up near schools and other areas prohibited under the new regulations, but that the crackdown was getting tougher.
The National Environment Agency was said to have taken an advisory approach in the first three months after the new law came into force to allow smokers time to make the transition to the stricter regime.
But that softly-softly approach changed on January 1. People caught smoking in a place where smoking is prohibited now face having to pay penalties.
No more mister nice guy
