SINGAPORE
It is now illegal to buy, use, and possess “emerging and imitation tobacco products” such as smokeless tobacco products, chewing tobacco, and shisha, as the first phase of amendments to Singapore’s Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) Act kicked in on February 1, 2018.
Now, anyone caught buying, possessing, or using such products can be fined up to SGD2,000 (US$1,505), according to a Ministry of Health (MOH) said in a statement late January.
Prior to February 1, only importation, sale, and distribution of such products was illegal. Those found guilty of carrying out such acts can be jailed for up to six months and/or fined up to SGD10,000 (US$7,523) for the first offense, and twice those penalties for repeat offenders.
The Act also prohibits any device or article that resembles tobacco products, including vaporizers such as e-cigarettes, e-pipes, e-cigars, and the like.
Further phases of amendments to the Act to be expected include gradually raising the minimum legal age for the purchase, use, possession, sale, and supply of tobacco products from 18 to 21. The age will be raised from 18 to 19 on January 1, 2019, further raised to 20 on January 1, 2020, and to 21 on January 1, 2021.
The law will also ban people from buying, using, and owning imitation tobacco products, such as e-cigarettes, e-cigars and e-pipes.