Extending the Smoking (Prohibition) Act
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I am glad to find a forum for Smokers and at the same time welcome anti-smokers. Thank you. I am an anti-smoker.
I would like to ask for your opinions on proposing to the government to amend the Smoking (Prohibition in Certain Places) Act (Chapter 310). That Act prohibits smoking in public places.
Thanks to the Act, our children are protected from secondhand cigarette smoke in school and in most places where they go such as public library, buses and MRT, food courts, swimming pools, public playground and shopping centres.
But, while the children are well protected outside, they are not protect at the very place they spend most of their time - home. I propose the government consider extending the Act to protect children from the health dangers of secondhand cigarette smoke at home.
The common property of a private residential estate includes the swimming pool, playground, gym, multi-function room and car park. Under the Building Maintenance and Strata Management Act, the management corporation strata title (MCST) of a private residential estate has the control, management and administration of the common property. By right, the MCST has the power to prescribe any by-law or house rules to prevent smoking in the common areas. However, in reality, the MCST lacks the teeth to bite when it comes to enforcing any non-smoking by-law, as it is not a law enforcement body.
Section 3(1)(b) of the Act stipulates that the Agency may, with the approval of the Minister, by notification in the Gazette, specify any common property or limited common property of any residential premises or building as being a place in which smoking shall not be permitted.
The government therefore can allow an MCST to apply to the National Environment Agency to designate the private residential estate as non-smoking place if an ordinary resolution of the subsidiary proprietors is passed.
In order to make it easier for families with babies and young children to push for such a resolution to be passed, it is important to allow such for a resolution to be passed with 50% votes in favour (i.e., an ordinary resolution and not a special resolution).
Once the private residential estate is designated as non-smoking place by NEA, anyone found breaching the smoking ban shall be dealt with by NEA, who has the established processes and manpower to do so.
Unlike in public places, NEA's officers may not have direct access to private residential estates. We must allow anyone aggrived by the smoking to report any violation to NEA and any footage of CCTV camera or digital photographs taken by the resident can be admissible as evidence for NEA to prosecute the offender.
What do you all think of this suggestion ? -
Just curious, if smoking is going to be banned in private housing estates, then where are the smokers going to smoke? Let us not forget that smoking is a lifestyle choice. It is not a punishable crime where a smoker getting caught will result in him getting hung up on CBD where he is displayed for all to see. Yes, it reaps negative externalities. But it isn't the only one. Just take a look at your car park. At any one time, I dare say the amount of dangerous gases like Carbon Monoxide present in the air is much higher than the amount of 99999999999 types of gases one cigarette gives off. Even collectively, I don't think 10 smokers can beat the gaseous emissions by just one car. So if you really want to get air pollution out of the question, I think we should look at the emissions from our cars first. On the other hand, I think smokers should also exercise some discretion in their habit and maybe get out of their estate and smoke somewhere where he won't be fined. But then again, that's a bit hard isn't it? Maybe we should all educate the people around us on how to take in the least amount of 2nd hand smoke. For example, holding your breath when you walk past a smoker, or take a detour and by-pass any "yellow boxes" which are the designated smoking areas. It'll be more inconvenient, but hey, walking a short distance more hasn't killed anyone. Yet. Just my 2 cents.
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Just keep in mind:
Dont be too much....
and your suggestion sucks really.
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Is common property found in private residential under the charge of the government or the Management corporation strata title? Are police officers able to patrol inside the premises?
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TS should be prosecuted instead...
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Originally posted by caleb_chiang:
TS should be prosecuted instead...
ban ban ban!
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Originally posted by TooFree:
Are police officers able to patrol inside the premises?
its like asking them to patrol every single commercial building