Public Consultation On The Proposed Amendments To Smoking Control Act

The Health Promotion Board (HPB), in partnership with the Health Sciences Authority (HSA), is conducting a 4 week public consultation starting on 3 August on the proposed amendments to the Smoking (Control of Advertisement and Sale of Tobacco) [CAST] Act.

2 Singapore has successfully reduced the smoking rate from 20% in 1984 to 12.6% in 2004. This is achieved through its National Smoking Control Programme, which adopts a multi-pronged strategy involving tobacco taxation, legislation, public education, partnerships and provision of quit smoking services. Singapore s smoking rate is also among one of the lowest in the world, when compared with countries such as Canada, Australia, United Kingdom, United States, South Korea, Japan, Thailand, Italy, and Germany.

3 Since 2004, however, the smoking prevalence in Singapore has increased. According to the National Health Surveillance Survey 2007, smoking among Singapore residents aged 18-69 yrs had increased to 13.6%. The most significant increase was seen among young adults aged 18-29 years, from 12.3% in 2004 to 17.2% in 2007. The Survey showed that within this age band male smoking increased from 18.2% in 2004 to 25.4% in 2007; and among females from 6.6% in 2004 to 9.1% in 2007.

4 Tobacco remains the single most preventable cause of death in the world today. WHO estimates that 5.4 million people die from tobacco-related diseases every year and if current trends continue, the death toll will increase to more than eight million every year by 2030. Smoking is also a risk factor for 6 of the 8 leading causes of deaths such as cancer, heart diseases and Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease in Singapore. According to a study by the National University of Singapore, the social costs of smoking from healthcare, absenteeism and loss of productivity from smoking-related diseases is between $700 million and $800 million.

Proposed Amendments to Legislation involving Smoking Control
5 The increasing trend of daily smokers among young adults and the emergence of new tobacco trends underscore Singapore s need to review existing tobacco control strategies. This is also aligned to Singapore s commitment to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), a global treaty which requires Parties to implement effective tobacco control measures.

6 The proposed amendments to the Smoking (CAST) Act will strengthen Singapore s tobacco control efforts. These include removing the exemption which allows tobacco company sponsorship; lowering maximum tar and nicotine limits; empowering the Minister for Health to prohibit harmful tobacco products; increasing composition fine and maximum court fine for underage smokers; reviewing criteria for licensing of tobacco retailers; banning misleading labelling; and requiring new packaging for cigarillos.

7 The proposed amendments to the CAST Act and its subsidiary legislations are detailed at Appendix. They can be broadly classified into the following categories:

A. Comprehensive ban on tobacco advertising, promotions and sponsorship
(i) Remove exemption for sponsorship by tobacco industry

B. Enhancing Tobacco Product Regulation
(i) Lower maximum allowable tar and nicotine yield limits
(ii) Empower Minister for Health to prohibit the import and sale of any form of tobacco product and tobacco substitutes deemed harmful

C. Enhancing Measures to Restrict the Use and Sale of Tobacco Products to Young Persons
(i) Increase composition fine for 1st to 4th time offenders
(ii) Increase maximum court fine for underage offenders
(iii) Review criteria for tobacco retailers
(iv) Revoke tobacco licences at 1st instance of sale of tobacco products to underage persons

D. Enhancing Packaging and Labelling Restrictions and Requirements
(i) Ban misleading labelling on tobacco products
(ii) Replace quantitative tar and nicotine labelling with a general health message

E. Other Measures
(i) Require cigarillos (mini cigars) to be sold in packs of 20s

Public Consultation
7 HPB, in partnership with HSA, is conducting a 4-week public consultation from 3 August 2009 to 28 August 2009. Members of the public are invited to give their feedback and comments to shape the future of tobacco control in Singapore.

8 Members of the public can log on to www.hpb.gov.sg or www.moh.gov.sg to provide their feedback on the above measures.

9 All feedback should be submitted online by 28 August 2009.