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Smoking will be banned at more public spaces starting from Jul. 1, 2022.

This was announced by Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment Amy Khor during the Committee of Supply debates on Mar. 7.

Smoking prohibited at more public places

From Jul. 1, smoking will be banned at all remaining public parks and gardens, such as East Coast Park and Fort Canning Park.

Smoking will also be prohibited at Active, Beautiful, Clean (ABC) water sites and 10 recreational beaches, Khor announced.

Examples of ABC water sites are Kallang River, Alexandra Canal and Bedok Reservoir.

These also include canals and landmarks near rivers such as the Lorong Halus Bridge, wetlands such as the Sengkang Floating Wetland, and areas near large drains.

The 10 beaches are namely:

• Changi Beach
• East Coast Beach
• West Coast Beach
• Sembawang Beach
• Pasir Ris Beach
• Punggol Beach
• Beach areas on Coney Island
• Siloso Beach, Tanjong Beach and Palawan Beach on Sentosa

Enforcement

A three-month advisory period will last from July to September.

Enforcement will take effect from Oct. 1, 2022.

Offenders will face a fine of S$200, or up to S$1,000 if convicted in court.

Khor added that there are currently no plans to set up additional non smoking zones.

Setting up non smoking zones requires significant buy-in from stakeholders and operational resources to implement, Khor explained, and the government will have to plan extensively to assess suitable sites to be assigned as designated smoking areas.

Top image by Unsplash and Andrew Koay.