Singapore

The law prohibits smoking in the enumerated list of “specified places” and “specified vehicles” as described in the Smoking (Prohibition in Certain Places) Regulations 2018.

Smoking is restricted in certain workplaces, but the law allows the designation of smoking facilities with varying features. In office premises, for example, the smoking facility must be in an enclosed and independently ventilated room that is not required to be used by anyone in performance of his/her job duties.

The law also prohibits smoking in enclosed corridors, lobbies, stairwells, and other common areas of office buildings.

Because designated smoking areas are permitted in some indoor workplaces, the regulatory status code “Smoking is Restricted” is given.

The law prohibits smoking in an enumerated list of “specified places” as described in the Smoking (Prohibition in Certain Places) Regulations 2018. Smoking is prohibited in many indoor public places, but smoking facilities are allowed in certain indoor public places such as hawker centers, indoor discotheques, pubs, bars, lounges, or night clubs, airport terminal buildings, and certain foodshops, among others. 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 prohibit smoking in all parts of all indoor public places.

Several laws work in combination to prohibit smoking in many, but not all, means of public transport and public transport facilities. The Smoking (Prohibition in Certain Places) Regulations 2018 prohibits smoking in ”specified vehicles,” which includes buses and taxis but does not include trains or aircraft. Smoking may be prohibited on trains and aircraft by notice. Smoking does not appear to be restricted on watercraft.

Because smoking is not prohibited in all forms of public transport, 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 on all forms of public transport.

There is no single provision in the law that addresses smoking in government facilities. Instead, smoking is banned in some government facilities and not regulated in others. Further, a designated smoking area may be established in at least one government facility – defense installations.

Smoking is prohibited in defense installations occupied by the Ministry of Defense or the Singapore Armed Forces, the Supreme Court, the State Courts, and the Family Justice Courts; and public libraries, museums, and art galleries. The Smoking (Prohibition in Certain Places) Regulations 2018 also prohibits smoking in any community building, center, or club belonging to, managed or maintained by the People’s Association. Because smoking is banned in some government facilities and not regulated in others and because smoking facilities are permitted in at least one government facility - defense installations, the regulatory status code “Some Restrictions” is given.

To align with FCTC Art. 8 and the FCTC Art. 8 Guidelines, the law should prohibit smoking in all government facilities.

The law prohibits smoking in office premises. The law also prohibits smoking in any enclosed corridor, lobby, stairwell or other common area of an office. However, the law permits smoking facilities to be located in office premises if certain conditions are met. The smoking facility must be an enclosed, independently ventilated room. Further, the smoking facility must not be used for any other purpose except smoking and cannot be required for use by anyone for the performance of his/her job duties.

To align with FCTC Art. 8 and the FCTC Art. 8 Guidelines, the law should prohibit smoking in all parts of private offices.

The law specifically prohibits 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 smoking in hospitals.

The law specifically prohibits 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 smoking in public areas of residential healthcare facilities.

The law specifically prohibits 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 smoking in non-residential healthcare facilities.

The law specifically prohibits smoking in early childcare development centers or kindergartens. Therefore, smoking in child care facilities and preschools is prohibited.

The law aligns with FCTC Art. 8 and the FCTC Art. 8 Guidelines with respect to smoking in child care facilities and preschools.

The law specifically prohibits 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 smoking in primary and secondary schools.

The law specifically prohibits smoking in “any relevant premises of a registered private education (non-degree) institution, any relevant premises of a registered private education (degree) institution, and any university.” Smoking facilities are permitted, however, in private education (degree) institutions and universities. Because the law permits smoking facilities in universities and some vocational facilities, 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.

The law prohibits smoking in any shop and also identifies several specific types of shops, including, for example, any shop at a sports stadium, any shopping mall or complex, and any shop in certain bus terminals. Further, smoking is also specifically prohibited in any market.

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

The law 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 amusement center, any cinema or theater, any hall, ballroom, or function room intended to be used for holding a meeting, conference, seminar, course or exhibition, 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 law also prohibits smoking in any community building or center owned or operated by the People’s Association.

The law aligns with FCTC Art. 8 and the FCTC Art. 8 Guidelines with respect to smoking in cultural facilities.

The law specifically prohibits smoking in any sports stadium. Smoking is also prohibited in indoor sports arenas, 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 smoking in indoor stadiums or arenas.

The law specifically prohibits smoking inside food shops/establishments. However, smoking facilities may be located in food establishments located outside certain no-smoking zones with grandfathered designated smoking areas under the prior smoking notification. Smoking is expressly prohibited in any restaurant within a private club.

The law also restricts but does not completely prohibit smoking in hawker centers (defined as places with multiple stalls where food is prepared, stored, or sold for human consumption), as smoking facilities may be located in these areas. Because the law permits designated smoking areas in some food establishments and 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 prohibit smoking in restaurants.

The law prohibits smoking inside any “discotheque, pub, bar, lounge or night club,” including those located in any private club. However, the law permits the establishment of designated smoking areas in these places. Because the law permits designated smoking areas, the regulatory status code “Smoking is Restricted” is given.

To align with the FCTC Art. 8 and the FCTC Art. 8 Guidelines, the law should prohibit smoking in bars, pubs and nightclubs.

The law does not address smoking in casinos generally but does prohibit smoking in amusement centers that include jackpot machine premises and the arcade games room (including jackpot machine rooms) of private clubs. As it is unclear if casinos are smoke free or only jackpot machine premises or rooms, the regulatory status code “Uncertain” is given.

To align with FCTC Art. 8 and the FCTC Art. 8 Guidelines, the law should prohibit smoking in casinos.

The law specifically prohibits smoking in any hotel lobby. In addition, smoking is prohibited in any hall, ballroom or function room (including such premises located in a hotel) intended to be used for holding a meeting, conference, seminar, course, or an exhibition, or for the purpose of serving meals. The law also prohibits smoking in swimming pools, which by definition include pools operated or run by any hotel.

The law aligns with FCTC Art. 8 and the FCTC Art. 8 Guidelines with respect to smoking in 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 “Uncertain” is given

To align with the FCTC Art. 8 and the FCTC Art. 8 Guidelines, the law should prohibit smoking in guest rooms of hotels and lodgings.

The law prohibits smoking in the “specified places” set forth in the First Schedule of the Smoking (Prohibition in Certain Places) Regulations 2018.  Prisons and detention facilities are not included in the list of “specified places.” 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 prohibit smoking in public areas of prisons and detention facilities.

The law specifically prohibits 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, because trains and other railway facilities are not required by law to be 100% smoke free, 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 on all shared ground transportation.

The law specifically prohibits smoking in many public service vehicles, including taxis and trishaws (three-wheeled pedal cycles). 
 

The law aligns with FCTC Art. 8 and the FCTC Art. 8 Guidelines with respect to smoking in taxis.

The Air Navigation Act addresses smoking on aircraft. It does not prohibit smoking outright but instead imposes a penalty for smoking in an aircraft when instructed not to smoke by any crew member or any passenger information sign or placard. The Singapore General Aviation Requirements (SGAR) – Aeroplanes require that all passengers are notified of the restrictions on smoking before the flight commences. Because the law does not outright prohibit smoking on all commercial aircraft, 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 commercial aircraft.

The law does not address commercial watercraft specifically. Therefore, the law is interpreted as permitting smoking aboard commercial watercraft. 
 

To align with FCTC Art. 8 and the FCTC Art. 8 Guidelines, the law should prohibit smoking in all commercial watercraft.

The law specifically prohibits smoking in some, but not all, public transport facilities. Smoking is prohibited in any bus interchange or terminus (except one which is situated along the side of a road and does not provide for boarding passengers). This includes any facility or shop within the premises. In addition, smoking is prohibited at bus stops and shelters (including any area within a five meter radius from the outer edge of the shelter or bus stop pole when there is no shelter) and in and on specific ferry terminals and piers listed in the regulations.

Smoking is prohibited in enclosed areas of the terminal buildings of Changi Airport, Singapore’s main airport, or Seletar Airport. However, enclosed rooms at these airport terminals may be designated for smoking.

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. Therefore, 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 public transport facilities.

The law prohibits smoking in certain publicly accessible places where the manager designates a place for individuals to form a queue.

The law specifically prohibits smoking in any lift and lift lobby.

The law specifically prohibits 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 law also prohibits smoking in arcade game rooms, including jackpot machine rooms, in private clubs.

The law prohibits smoking in car parks in a multi-story buildings or in the basement of a building. The ban extends to any corridor, lobby, or stairwell within the car park. However, the ban does not apply to any part of the car park that is located on the rooftop of the building.

The law prohibits smoking in any common area of residential buildings, including any atrium, courtyard, common corridor, lobby, void deck, or stairwell.

The law prohibits smoking in any pavilion within the common property of any residential premises. "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 prohibits smoking in private hire cars when hired for use as a whole with a driver for the purpose of conveying one or more passengers.