It’s Time To Put An End To Smoking.
There are ample evidence to prove that smoking can affect smokers’ health and well-being.
If their health deteriorate, they may become a burden to their families and communities.
The government and taxpayers may also have to pay a high price to look after them.
Therefore, increasing the minimum legal age for smoking from 18 to 19 years old and eventually to 21 years old is but only delaying the rise of a potential problem.
To eradicate smoking problem completely and sustainably, we should remove not just symptoms but also roots of the problem.
The Authorities should forecast a series of stronger actions to reduce and if not remove the harms of tobacco.
These actions should include a projection of major increases in excise duties of tobacco at different time frames in the future.
By doing that, licensed importers and tobacco retailers can better adapt to the changes and reduce their dependence on sales of tobacco.
When smokers know that they will have to pay more and more money for tobacco over time, it will act as a deterrent to smoking.
As smoking often starts as and remains a social activity, it’s deem to be a “cool” activity.
The Authorities should continue to make it “un-cool” to be seen smoking in the public.
They should tighten the pressure to make it anti-social to smoke in the public.
Besides banning smoking in some public areas, the Authorities should look into banning smoking from even places with minimal human traffic.
Increase the distance between smokers and such places over time.
Limit number of shops that sell tobacco and impose restrictions on them.
And if possible, regulate the looks, shapes and sizes of cigarettes and cigarette boxes to make them unappealing and inconvenient for smokers to purchase, use and possess tobacco products.
Let’s aim to have a cut-off date, following which there’ll be no more new smokers.
To do that, the Authorities should consider banning young people that are born after a specified year from smoking.
I’m sure many parents, including many smokers will support such a ban.
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/minimum-legal-age-for-tobacco-raised-to-19-years-old-from-jan-1-2019
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