Singapore bans emerging tobacco products

Emerging tobacco products will be banned in Singapore from Tuesday, according to a statement from the Ministry of Health (MOH) on Monday.

The ban, with effect from Dec. 15, is adopted to ensure that such products do not gain a foothold or become entrenched in the Singapore market, which could stimulate demand for and increase the prevalence of tobacco consumption, MOH explained.

"This is part of the MOH's ongoing efforts to protect the public against the known and potential harms of emerging tobacco products," it said.

Earlier in June, MOH announced that the ban on emerging tobacco products would be implemented in two phases.

The first phase of the ban targets emerging tobacco products including smokeless cigars, smokeless cigarillos or smokeless cigarettes, dissolvable tobacco or nicotine, any product containing nicotine or tobacco that may be used topically for application, by implant or injected into any parts of the body as well as any solution or substance, of which tobacco or nicotine is a constituent, that is intended to be used with an electronic nicotine delivery system or a vaporiser.

The second phase of the ban, which is on emerging tobacco products existing in the local market, will take effect from August next year. The ban includes nasal snuff, oral snuff, gutkha, khaini and zarda.

MOH said that any person who contravenes the ban shall be liable to a fine not exceeding 10,000 Singapore dollars (71,429 U.S. dollars) or imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months, or both, and in the case of a second or subsequent conviction, a fine not exceeding 20,000 Singapore dollars (14,286 U.S. dollars) or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or both. Endit