Written Reply to Parliamentary Question on Smoking prohibition under MRT/LRT viaducts

Written Reply to Parliamentary Question on Smoking prohibition under MRT/LRT viaducts by Ms Grace Fu, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment

Mr Gan Thiam Poh: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment whether the Ministry will consider prohibiting smoking in the area directly under MRT or LRT viaducts.

Answer:

1 The National Environment Agency (NEA) adopts a pragmatic approach in identifying places where smoking should be prohibited and takes into consideration whether the places have high footfall, are frequented by families, or are air-conditioned or enclosed. To reduce the public’s exposure to the harmful effects of second-hand tobacco smoke, NEA has progressively extended the smoking prohibition to cover more than 49,000 places island-wide. This includes covered and underground pedestrian walkways, playgrounds and void decks.

2 There are currently no plans to specifically prohibit smoking in areas under MRT and LRT viaducts. We encourage smokers to exercise social responsibility and be considerate when smoking in public spaces.