S'poreans react strongly to proposed curbing of smoking inside one's own HDB flat

Oh no.

Nyi Nyi Thet | September 11, 2018, 10:48 AM

You might have heard all the hoo-ha about potential measures to curb smoking inside your house.

And the potential repercussions have captured the imaginations of your average Singaporeans, who have quite a bit to say about it.

Anecdote

Let's begin with this anecdote about how the smoke from her upstairs neighbours comes down to her apartment.

Which raised a few questions.

And one unified theory.

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More pressing issues?

Another point of contention was not whether smoking was an issue for non-smoking residents, but just how much of an issue it was.

And pointing out other more potent sources of pollution.

Inevitably, some pointed to our East Asian neighbours as a model for what should be done to curb smoking.

Screenshot from CNA's Facebook

Some non-smokers also came out to defend their smoking brethren.

Non-smokers' point of view

But it was far from a one-sided issue. Many non-smokers put out compelling anecdotes that supported their desire for more to be done.

Screenshot from CNA

Although some took it slightly too far.

Yikes.

Intrusive?

Some responses gave the impression that this proposed measure, while of good intentions, might be a taking things a step too far.

And that concern wasn't just felt on the ground -- even Senior Minister of State for the Environment and Water Resources Amy Khor, raised some concerns in response to the MPs’ proposals.

Khor said the government must be mindful that “not everyone would support the view that the government should intrude into one’s private space on the issue of smoking”.

She added that an “intrusive regulatory approach to tackling neighbourly issues” could even harm “community harmony and ownership”.

Image adapted from Jason Bagley's Flickr and comments from CNA's Facebook and Mothership's Facebook