In Your Opinion Podcast: Just how hard is it to stub out smoking?

(From left to right) Dr Yvette van der Eijk, Assistant Professor at the National University of Singapore Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, Podcast Producer, Teo Tong Kai and ST's Opinion Editor, Grace Ho.
ST PHOTO: EDEN SOH

Insight Editor

Updated

Published

Sep 09, 2022, 06:00 PM

Synopsis: Every second and fourth Friday of the month, The Straits Times' insight editor Grace Ho takes a hard look at political and social issues of the day with her expert guests.

In Part One, she looks at the different ways in which Singapore can reduce smoking prevalence, such as bans on flavoured cigarettes and raising the minimum legal age. She also looks at newer approaches being adopted by other countries, including the tobacco-free generation and nicotine caps.

In the studio to weigh the pros and cons of these options is Dr Yvette van der Eijk, Assistant Professor at the National University of Singapore Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health. Prof van der Eijk works with local government agencies to support tobacco control efforts.

Highlights (click/tap above):

1:15 Why flavoured cigarettes appeal especially to young people, and the effect they have on the body

5:30 Whether flavours in cigarettes should be banned and the alternatives

9:35 Raising the minimum legal age

12:05 The tobacco-free generation approach and how countries such as New Zealand and Malaysia are adopting it

14:00 How short- and long-term policies work together to reduce smoking prevalence

Listen to Pt 2: https://str.sg/wrUE

Read the articles here:

https://str.sg/wz6o

https://str.sg/wz6J

Produced by: Grace Ho (graceho@sph.com.sg), Ernest Luis, Teo Tong Kai and Eden Soh

Edited by: Hadyu Rahim