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Measures include ban on alternative tobacco items, arts sponsorship
 THE Government has hit the tobacco industry with tighter restrictions, including a ban on alternative tobacco and nicotine products available abroad.
These products include smokeless forms of tobacco such as oral and nasal snuff, electronic cigarettes, tobacco substitutes such as nicotine water, and fruit and candy-flavoured cigarettes.
Most of these are not available here, Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan told MPs yesterday during the debate on changes to the Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) Act.
Noting that there was a prevalence of smoking here, particularly among young adults, he said such innovative products were the industry’s attempt to attract new users and were marketed to appeal to younger customers, including women.
Speaking in Parliament for the first time since his heart bypass operation in May, he also showed examples of such products – a tin of oral snuff and a packet of smokeless e-cigarettes – to MPs.
The ban on alternative products is particularly important, given the recent rise in smoking among young adults.
Between 2004 and 2007, smoking prevalence rose from 18 per cent to 25 per cent among young men, and from 7 per cent to 9 per cent among young women.
The 11 MPs who spoke supported the changes. Many focused on the issue of smoking among the young.
Madam Cynthia Phua (Aljunied GRC) noted that harsher penalties for underage smoking were not an enduring solution.
She suggested personalised counselling schemes instead, noting that these had been successful in other countries.
Underage smokers who are caught may be referred to the Singapore Cancer Society’s counselling scheme. But Madam Phua suggested such counselling be made compulsory for offenders – and be provided in schools and polyclinics.
Mr Hri Kumar Nair (Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC) and Mr Seah Kian Peng (Marine Parade GRC) said public education should cover not just cigarettes, but also the dangers of alternative tobacco and nicotineproducts.
Responding, Mr Khaw said there would be stronger enforcement of measures to curb underage smoking.
Policing would increase, and stiffer penalties will be considered.
Another worry was the difference in smoking prevalence across ethnic groups. In the Malay community, it is twice that in the Chinese or Indian communities,
said Dr Lam Pin Min (Ang Mo Kio GRC).
Echoing the concern was Madam Halimah Yacob (Jurong GRC), who proposed anti-smoking programmes targeted specifically at the Malay community.
The changes Parliament approved include bringing Singapore into compliance with the World Health Organisation’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which Singapore signed in 2004.
One requirement is the ban of tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship, including that of arts and cultural events.
Advertising has been banned here since 1971 but an exemption allowed tobacco firms to sponsor arts and cultural events.
With the changes yesterday, this exemption will be removed with effect from the end of this year – thus giving arts organisations time to continue building up alternative sources of sponsorship.
Also required is the display of graphic health warnings on internal and external packaging. This will now apply to outer packaging, such as the box or carton holding individual packages for sale.
Mr Khaw also said that labelling products with terms such as “light” or “mild” gave the impression that the product or brand was less harmful or less addictive.
“International and local studies found that consumers are misled by such terms. ...There is no such thing as a safer cigarette; all cigarettes are harmful,” he said.
As such, the law will ban the import, distribution and sale of products with false or misleading terms. Firms will have 12 months from the time of the gazette notification to make the changes.
Further restrictions have also been introduced. Cigarillos, or mini cigars, can no longer be sold in packs of fewer than 20.
And the maximum allowable tar and nicotine yield levels of cigarettes have been lowered from 15 mg to 10 mg for tar, and from 1.3 mg to 1.0 mg for nicotine.
Tobacco companies have 12 months to comply with the various changes.
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