Journey towards a smoke-free nation.

Abstract

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Singapore’s journey towards a smoke-free society started early in the 1970s when legislations were introduced to restrict smoking in certain public spaces and ban tobacco advertising.1 The National Smoking Control Programme was launched in 1986 with important objectives set to prevent youths from picking up the smoking habit, help current smokers quit, protect non-smokers from second-hand smoke, and tighten regulations against smoking. Public health campaigns and outreach programmes to schools, youth organisations, army camps and workplaces were conducted. There was widespread dissemination of information on the hazards of smoking through mass media coverage and printed materials. Singapore was among the first 40 countries to ratify the World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, with its 6 recommendations supporting tobacco cessation—including monitoring tobacco use, protecting people from tobacco smoke, offering smoking cessation assistance, warning dangers of tobacco, enforcing bans on tobacco advertising, and raising taxes on tobacco.2