Senior Minister of State (Health) Dr Amy Khor To Host Live Facebook Chat To Gather Views On Potential Tobacco Control Measures

1. Members of the public who are keen to give their views on tobacco control measures that could potentially be introduced here can take part in a live Facebook chat hosted by Senior Minister of State for Health, Dr Amy Khor, on 4 March 2016.

2. The chat is part of a 12-week public consultation by the Ministry of Health (MOH), Health Promotion Board (HPB) and Health Sciences Authority (HSA) to seek views from the public on a suite of tobacco control measures that are being studied. The measures aim to discourage Singaporeans from picking up smoking, and encourage smokers to kick the habit.

3. The four measures being studied for potential implementation in Singapore include:

a) Requiring standardised packaging to reduce the appeal of tobacco products;

b) Enhancing graphic health warnings;

c) Restricting the sale of flavoured tobacco products; and

d) Increasing the minimum legal age for the purchase, possession and use of tobacco in Singapore, from 18 to 21 years old.

4. Singapore currently adopts a wide range of strategies to reduce its smoking prevalence, which is one of the lowest in the world. These include legislation, such as restrictions on tobacco advertising and smoking prohibitions in public places, public education, provision of smoking cessation services and taxation. The smoking rate here has been steadily decreasing, from 18.3% in 1992 to 13.3% in 2013, and Singapore aims to reduce it further to 12% by 2020.

5. Those interested to take part in the Facebook chat can log on to www.facebook.com/REACHSingapore on 4 March from 7.30 pm to 9.00 pm. For the public consultation, members of the public have until Tuesday 29 March 2016, 5.00 pm to submit their feedback on the tobacco control measures being studied at the HPB website at www.hpb.gov.sg/tobacco-public-consult-2015.

MINISTRY OF HEALTH

3 MARCH 2016