From October 1, individuals found smoking in public parks and gardens, recreational beaches, and water projects overseen by the national water agency PUB will be subject to a S$200 fine.
In a joint news release on Thursday, the National Environment Agency (NEA), National Parks Board (NParks), Public Utilities Board (PUB), and Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) said that the enforcement action follows a three-month advisory period beginning on July 1 during which over 1,200 warnings were issued (Sept 29).
On July 1, the new locations were added to Singapore's list of no-smoking areas.
The organizations noted that NEA, NParks, PUB, and SDC officers have been authorized to enforce smoking violations in these locations.
During the advisory period, only verbal warnings were issued so that smokers would have more time to adjust to the new restrictions.
The organizations claimed that smokers were "receptive when instructed not to smoke in these prohibited areas"
Anyone caught smoking in a restricted area is subject to a S$200 composition amount or a fine of up to S$1,000 if found guilty in court.
The organizations noted that around 7,400 citations were issued for smoking in forbidden places during the first half of 2022.
In Singapore, all city, coastal, and regional parks maintained by NParks are now smoke-free zones. Raffles Place Park, Coney Island Park, and Woodlands Waterfront Park are among the 51 parks.
Additionally, more than 30 sites and reservoir parks under PUB's Active, Beautiful, Clean Waters program are now smoke-free, including the Lorong Halus Wetland, the Pang Sua canal fishing deck in Yew Tee, and the MacRitchie Reservoir Park.
In addition, ten recreational beaches are included. They are found on the Changi, East and West Coast, Sembawang, Pasir Ris, Coney Island, Punggol, and Siloso, Palawan, and Tanjong beaches on Sentosa.
To help smokers adjust to smoke-free parks, designated smoking areas have been established in a number of larger regional parks, including East Coast Park, Changi Beach Park, Pasir Ris Park, West Coast Park, Sembawang Park, Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park, Jurong Central Park, Marsiling Park, Mount Faber Park, and Woodlands Waterfront Park.
They are also offered in the area of Sentosa's three beaches.
More than 49,000 indoor and outdoor locations prohibit smoking, including green areas such as parks in private and public housing complexes, reservoirs, and nature reserves.
"'No Smoking by Law' signs, posters, and banners have also been displayed as extra visual reminders in the new smoke-free zones," the authorities noted.
Comentários