2,900 monthly complaints on smoking in prohibited areas in 2020
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A designated smoking area in front of Far East Plaza in Scotts Road. The National Environment Agency has been progressively extending the prohibition of smoking to more places where the public is likely to be exposed to second-hand tobacco smoke.
ST FILE PHOTO
Justin Ong
The National Environment Agency (NEA) received an average of about 2,900 complaints a month on smoking in prohibited areas last year, said Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment Amy Khor in Parliament yesterday.
This compares with 210 a month for smoking in non-prohibited areas.
Dr Khor said NEA has been progressively extending the prohibition of smoking to more places where the public is likely to be exposed to second-hand tobacco smoke.
The volume of human traffic and whether an area is enclosed are some factors considered by NEA when determining if smoking should be prohibited in a place.
Ms Yeo Wan Ling (Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC) later pointed out that smokers can also light up in areas such as train stations and pathways to shopping malls - which are often open-air, unsheltered and frequented by children and vulnerable groups.
Dr Khor said NEA's response has been to relocate bins, particularly those with ashtrays, to places with less footfall.
She also responded to questions from Mr Liang Eng Hwa (Bukit Panjang) on the effectiveness of existing measures against high-rise littering. Cigarette butts are among the most common items flung out of windows and MPs have previously called for a ban on smoking near windows or at balconies in apartment blocks.
Dr Khor said that last year, more surveillance cameras were deployed by NEA, with the number rising by more than 50 per cent over 2019.
By also partnering with town councils to investigate offences, NEA managed to take more than 1,000 enforcement actions against high-rise litterbugs last year.
Mr Liang, however, said there were "obviously no visible improvements" to the situation and asked if the deterrent effect was working.
Dr Khor said NEA has bolstered its enforcement and surveillance capabilities by keeping up with camera technology and tapping data analytics.
She also said that the number of repeat offenders for high-rise littering acts was lower than those for general littering offences.
"At the end of the day, even as we step up enforcement, ultimately what is important is… we need Singaporeans to cooperate," she added.
