In the article “Being creative to snuff out youth smoking”, the social issue regarding the rising trend of underage smoking was raised. The 2007 National Health Surveillance Survey showed those aged between 18 and 29 years had the highest daily smoking rate, 17.2 per cent, up from 12.3 per cent in 2004. Thus, the article called for the implementation of tougher and more creative measures to arrest this trend.
In comparison to our neighbouring countries, it is clear that Singapore has a relatively low smoking rate. Currently, the general smoking rate of Singapore stands at 13.6 per cent, a stark contrast from the percentage of smokers in Asian countries such as Japan and China, where almost half of the population are smokers. This proves the effectiveness of measures that our government has imposed to curb smoking. These measures include high tax rates on cigarettes, harsh fines for smoking in prohibited areas, packaging restrictions on cigarette boxes and public education on the health effects of smoking. However, the fact remains that 6671 underage smokers were detained by the Health Sciences Authority last year. Living in such a smoker-unfriendly environment, why do well educated teenagers of our modern society choose to damage their health by developing the frowned upon habit of smoking?
I believe that this is due to the following factors, namely peer pressure, ineffectiveness of education in schools, parental negligence, curiosity and the influence of the media. A common misconception that teenagers have about smoking is that smoking is “cool”. Some teenagers have their curiosity piqued after observing celebrities puffing contentedly on cigarettes, leading them to emulate these people whom they have respect for. Other teenagers who are more reserved about smoking can also succumb to the influence of their peers, especially when they observe a large group of their peers smoking together, as they will view smoking as a means of improving their friendship. Lastly, smoking parents contribute to the increase in underage smokers, as their children are convinced that there can be nothing wrong with their parents’ daily habit of smoking. This first cigarette that a teenager takes soon leads to many more cigarettes, and addiction to smoking soon gets out of control.
This rising trend of youth smokers is very worrying, as it brings about several negative impacts on Singapore. In addition to damaging their own health, smokers also cause negative health effects to the people who breathe in second-hand smoke from their cigarettes. This ultimately leads to a waste in our country’s resources, as money is unnecessarily spent in treating smoking related illnesses. More importantly, the presence of young smokers creates a poor image for our country. Tourists and foreign investors will be disappointed when they learn about the prevalence of underage smokers in our garden city.
Hence, I strongly agree with the article that tough measures need to be put in place to curb the serious problem of underage smoking. Underage smokers should be slapped with a composition fine of $100 for the first to the fourth offences, up from $30. Thereafter, it will be $500, up from $300. Shops that are found guilty of selling cigarettes should have their licenses permanently revoked after they are fined so as to deter unethical shop owners from exacerbating the problem of underage smoking. However, some youths may dare to take the risk even after these measures are imposed. Thus, measures that are creative and focused on the young should be implemented. Since prevention is better than cure, these measures should not only be focused on convincing underage smokers to stop their habit, but should focus on discouraging teenagers from smoking their first cigarette. These measures have to be unique, as the problem they are addressing is highly challenging. For example, schools and void decks with a high occurrence of underage smokers should be frequently visited by social workers and cancer patients, to deter students from taking up the habit of smoking.
In conclusion, the societal problem of underage smoking is very real and growing rapidly. If this trend is not arrested as soon as possible, the situation may exacerbate into one which Singapore cannot recover from. This will lead to serious impacts for Singapore’s citizens and image. Thus, tough and creative measures should be implemented by the government to effectively address this unique issue, so as to rid Singapore of underage smokers.
