Singapore

The law prohibits smoking in the enumerated list of premises and public service vehicles specified by the National Environment Agency in its Smoking (Prohibition in Certain Places) Notification. The Agency restricts smoking in workplaces and allows the manager of a workplace to designate a smoking area in an independently ventilated room that is neither required to be used by anyone in performance of his/her job duties nor a common area for employees. The law also prohibits smoking in enclosed corridors, lobbies, stairwells, and other common areas of buildings or parts of building that consist wholly or principally of office premises.

To align with FCTC Art. 8 and the FCTC Art. 8 Guidelines, the law should require all parts of all indoor workplaces to be 100% smoke free.

The law prohibits smoking in the enumerated list of premises and public service vehicles specified by the National Environment Agency in its Smoking (Prohibition in Certain Places) Notification. Smoking is prohibited in many indoor public places. However, the Agency authorizes the Director-General to permit smoking in designated areas in: any indoor hawker center not exceeding 10% of the total indoor seating capacity, and any indoor discotheque, pub, bar, lounge, or night club not exceeding 10% of the total indoor refreshment area. Because designated smoking areas are permitted in some indoor public places, the regulatory status code “Smoking is Restricted” is given.

To align with FCTC Art. 8 and the FCTC Art. 8 Guidelines, the law should require all parts of all public places to be 100% smoke free.

Several laws work in combination to prohibit smoking in many, but not all, means of public transport and public transport facilities. The agency’s smoke free notification prohibits smoking in all “public service vehicles,” which does not include trains or aircraft. On trains and aircraft, smoking may be prohibited and, if so, must be clearly marked. It appears as though smoking is not restricted on watercraft.

To align with FCTC Art. 8 and the FCTC Art. 8 Guidelines, the law should require all parts of all means of public transport, including trains, to be 100% smoke free.

There is no single provision in the law or agency notification that addresses smoking in government facilities. Instead, smoking is banned in some government facilities and not regulated in others. Smoking is prohibited in the Supreme Court, the State Courts Building, the Family Justice Courts Building, and the office of the Tribunal for the Maintenance of Parents; and public libraries, museums, and art galleries. The agency notification also prohibits smoking in any community building or center owned or operated by the People’s Association, a government-established statutory board whose goal it is to promote racial harmony and social cohesion.

Because many government buildings are also workplaces, these facilities are subject to some restrictions on smoking. Smoking is permitted in areas designated by the manager for smoking. These areas must be independently ventilated and may not be areas that are required to be used by anyone in the performance of his/her job duties or common areas for employees. Smoking is prohibited in other areas of workplaces, namely in any enclosed corridor, lobby, stairwell, or other common area of buildings or parts of buildings that consist wholly or principally of office premises.

To align with FCTC Art. 8 and the FCTC Art. 8 Guidelines, the law should require that all parts of government facilities be 100% smoke free.

The law allows smoking in office premises, which is defined as "any room or premises or part thereof the sole or principal use of which is for the carrying out of any administrative or clerical or other related work" as long as the smoking area is an independently ventilated room that is neither required to be used by anyone in performance of his/her job duties nor a common area for employees. Because an office is an area that is required to be used in the performance of one's job duties, it is interpreted that smoking would be prohibited in private offices. The law also prohibits smoking in enclosed corridors, lobbies, stairwells, and other common areas of buildings or parts of building that consist wholly or principally of office premises.

The law, as interpreted, aligns with FCTC Art. 8 and the FCTC Art. 8 Guidelines with respect to private offices.

The law and agency notification specifically prohibit smoking in “any clinical laboratory, healthcare establishment, hospital, maternity home medical clinic or nursing home.” Therefore, smoking in hospitals is prohibited.

The law aligns with FCTC Art. 8 and the FCTC Art. 8 Guidelines with respect to hospitals.

The law and agency notification specifically prohibit smoking in “any clinical laboratory, healthcare establishment, hospital, maternity home medical clinic or nursing home.” Therefore, smoking in public areas of residential healthcare facilities is prohibited.

The law aligns with FCTC Art. 8 and the FCTC Art. 8 Guidelines with respect to public areas of residential healthcare facilities.

The law and agency notification specifically prohibit smoking in “any clinical laboratory, healthcare establishment, hospital, maternity home medical clinic or nursing home.” Therefore, smoking in non-residential healthcare facilities is prohibited.

The law aligns with FCTC Art. 8 and the FCTC Art. 8 Guidelines with respect to non-residential healthcare facilities.

The law and agency notification specifically prohibit smoking in any "child care centre," kindergarten, and school.

The law aligns with FCTC Art. 8 and the FCTC Art. 8 Guidelines with respect to childcare facilities and preschools.

The law and agency notification specifically prohibit smoking in "any relevant school," which is defined to include a wide variety of schools, including government schools, government-aided schools, independent schools, and privately-funded schools, among others. Therefore, smoking in primary and secondary schools is prohibited.

The law aligns with FCTC Art. 8 and the FCTC Art. 8 Guidelines with respect to primary and secondary schools.

The law and agency notification specifically prohibit smoking in “any area within the compound of a university ... or any area within the compound of any relevant premises of a registered private education (degree) institution.” However, the notification includes two exceptions: (1) any area designated by the manager of the university premises or the manager of the private education institution for smoking; and (2) staff quarters that are residential premises. In a separate provision, the notification prohibits smoking in any library in any institution of higher learning. Because of the permitted exceptions, the regulatory status code "Smoking is Restricted" is given.

To align with FCTC Art. 8 and the FCTC Art. 8 Guidelines, the law should prohibit smoking in all parts of universities and vocational facilities.

Several provisions of the law address smoking in shops. For one, the notification prohibits smoking in “any shop.” In addition, several specific types of shops are identified as smoke free, including, for example, any shop at a sports stadium, any shopping mall or complex, and any shop in a bus terminal. Further, smoking is also specifically prohibited in any market, which is defined to include indoor markets only.

The law aligns with FCTC Art. 8 and the FCTC Art. 8 Guidelines with respect to shops.

The agency notification prohibits smoking in an enumerated list of cultural facilities that, effectively, amounts to a complete ban on smoking in cultural facilities. Specifically, the list of places where smoking is prohibited includes: any hall, ballroom, or function room during such time when it is used for holding a meeting, conference, seminar, course or an exhibition; any cinema or theater; any public library; and any public museum or art gallery. In addition, smoking is expressly prohibited in any library, reading room, theater, or cinema that is part of a private club. The agency notification also prohibits smoking in any community building or center owned or operated by the People’s Association, a government-established statutory board whose goal it is to promote racial harmony and social cohesion.

Because the ban on smoking effectively covers all cultural facilities, the law aligns with FCTC Art. 8 and the FCTC Art. 8 Guidelines in this regard.

The law and agency notification specifically prohibit smoking in any indoor sports arenas. The ban also covers indoor bowling alleys, billiard saloons, gymnasiums, aerobic or fitness centers, ice-skating rinks, roller-skating rinks, and roller-discotheques. Therefore, smoking in indoor stadiums and arenas is prohibited.

The law aligns with FCTC Art. 8 and the FCTC Art. 8 Guidelines with respect to indoor stadiums or arenas.

The law and agency notification specifically prohibit smoking inside all food establishments. In addition, smoking is expressly prohibited in any restaurant within a private club.

However, the law and notification restrict, but do not prohibit, smoking in hawker centers, defined as places or stalls where food is prepared, stored, or sold. The Director-General of Public Health may permit the designation of up to 20% of the outdoor refreshment area for smoking, and where the hawker center does not have an outdoor refreshment area, up to 10% of the indoor seating capacity for smoking. Because the law permits designated smoking areas in some hawker centers, the regulatory status code “Smoking is Restricted” is given.

To align with FCTC Art. 8 and the FCTC Art. 8 Guidelines, the law should require that all parts of restaurants be 100% smoke free.

The law and agency notification prohibit smoking inside any “discotheque, pub, bar, lounge or night club,” including any private club. However, the law authorizes the Director-General of Public Health to permit bars, pubs, and nightclubs to set aside up to 10% of their indoor refreshment areas as designated smoking areas. The area must be enclosed and independently ventilated. Because the law permits designated smoking areas, the regulatory status code “Smoking is Restricted” is given.

To align with FCTC Art. 8 and the FCTC Art. 8 Guidelines, the law should require that all parts of all public places and workplaces be 100% smoke free.

Neither the law nor the agency notification addresses smoking in casinos. Therefore, smoking is permitted in casinos.

To align with FCTC Art. 8 and the FCTC Art. 8 Guidelines, the law should require all parts of all indoor public places and workplaces, including casinos, to be 100% smoke free.

The law and agency notification specifically prohibit smoking in any hotel lobby. In addition, smoking is prohibited in any hall, ballroom or function room being used to hold a meeting, conference, seminar, course, or an exhibition, or for the purpose of serving meals.

The law aligns with FCTC Art. 8 and the FCTC Art. 8 Guidelines with respect to public areas in hotels.

The law prohibits smoking in hotel lobbies and other public areas of hotels, but does not specifically address hotel guest rooms. Accordingly, the regulatory status of guest rooms in hotels is “Uncertain.”

To align with FCTC Art. 8 and the FCTC Art. 8 Guidelines, the law should require that all hotel guest rooms be 100% smoke free.

Neither the law nor the notification addresses smoking in prisons or detention facilities specifically. Therefore, the law is interpreted as permitting smoking in public areas of prisons and detention facilities.

To align with FCTC Art. 8 and the FCTC Art. 8 Guidelines, the law should require that all parts of prisons/detention facilities be 100% smoke free.

The law and agency notification specifically prohibit smoking in public service vehicles, including any excursion bus, omnibus, private bus, private hire bus, and school bus. Therefore, smoking in these public service vehicles is prohibited.

The Railways Act addresses smoking on trains. It does not prohibit smoking outright, but instead bans smoking and the consumption of many smokeless tobacco products in designated areas where it is prohibited. In addition, the Rapid Transit Systems Regulations prohibit smoking in any part of a railway premises where smoking is expressly prohibited by notice. Therefore, trains and other railway facilities are not required by law to be 100% smoke free.

To align with FCTC Art. 8 and the FCTC Art. 8 Guidelines, the law should require all trains, buses, and other ground transport to be 100% smoke free.

The Second Schedule of the agency notification specifically prohibits smoking in many public service vehicles, including taxis and trishaws (three-wheeled pedal cycle).

The law and implementing rules align with FCTC Art. 8 and the FCTC Art. 8 Guidelines with respect to taxis.

The Air Navigation Order does not prohibit outright smoking on commercial aircraft. Instead, the law imposes a duty to post signs indicating when smoking is prohibited in an aircraft. A sign must be visible from each passenger seat within the aircraft. In addition, the law prohibits a person from smoking in an aircraft compartment in which such a sign is posted or where instructed by the pilot-in-command of the aircraft. The Singapore General Aviation Requirements (SGAR) – Aeroplanes were issued pursuant to the Air Navigation Order, and require that all passengers are notified of the restrictions on smoking before the flight commences. The law does not provide for 100% smoke free public transport.

To align with FCTC Art. 8 and the FCTC Art. 8 Guidelines, the law should require all commercial aircraft to be 100% smoke free.

The law and agency notification do not address commercial watercraft specifically. Further, no other law appears to prohibit or address smoking aboard commercial watercraft. Therefore, the law is interpreted as permitting smoking aboard commercial watercraft. The law does not provide for 100% smoke free public transport.

To align with FCTC Art. 8 and the FCTC Art. 8 Guidelines, the law should require all commercial watercraft to be 100% smoke free.

The law and agency notification specifically prohibit smoking in some, but not all, public transport facilities. Smoking is prohibited in any bus interchange, terminus (except one which is situated along the side of a road and does not provide for boarding of or alighting by passengers), bus stop, or bus shelter. This includes any facility, shop, or common area within the premises. In addition, smoking is prohibited in and on specific ferry terminals and piers listed in the notification. Smoking is prohibited in enclosed areas of the terminal buildings of Changi Airport, Singapore’s main airport. However, some enclosed rooms may be designated for smoking if the room is independently ventilated, and is neither required to be used by anyone in performance of his/her job duties nor a common area for employees. Under the Railways Act, smoking may, but is not required to, be prohibited in some waiting rooms, booking halls, and other similar facilities. In addition, the law prohibits smoking or carrying any lighted tobacco product in rapid transit facilities where smoking is expressly prohibited by notice. Taken together, these provisions place some restrictions on smoking in public transport facilities, but do not completely prohibit smoking in all public transport facilities.

To align with FCTC Art. 8 and the FCTC Art. 8 Guidelines, the law should require public transport facilities to be 100% smoke free.

The law and agency notification prohibit smoking in any area occupied by a queue of two or more persons in a public place.

The law and agency notification specifically prohibit smoking in any lift, including the lift lobby.

The law and agency notification specifically prohibit smoking in any “amusement centre,” which is defined as “any premises where jackpot machines, pin-ball machines, video game machines or any other similar game machines are provided for entertainment.” The notification further provides that smoking is prohibited in arcade game rooms, including jackpot machine rooms, in private clubs.

The law and agency notification prohibit smoking in car parks that are multi-story buildings or in the basement of a building. The ban extends to any corridor, lobby, stairwell, or other common area within the car park. However, the ban does not apply to any uncovered area of the car park. “Uncovered area” is defined as “an area that does not have a ceiling, roof, or other structure or device (whether fixed or moveable) that prevents or impedes upward airflow.”

The law and agency notification prohibit smoking in any common area of residential buildings or premises, including any atrium, courtyard, common corridor, lobby, void deck, or stairwell.

The law and agency notification prohibit smoking in any pavilion within the common property or limited common property of any residential premises or building. "Pavilion" is defined as "any covered area that is used or intended to be used principally for holding funerals, weddings, gatherings, meetings or other communal or social functions."

The law and agency notification specifically prohibit smoking in private hire cars when hired for use as a whole with a driver for the purpose of conveying one or more passengers.