Public smoking should be banned, confined to rooms

It is heartening to read that the total ban on the display of tobacco products at all retail outlets will start in 2017 (“Ban on display of tobacco products to take effect in 2017”; Dec 10).

Senior Minister of State for Health Amy Khor said the “(displaying tobacco products) has very strong promotional effects ... (and) can influence non-smokers to buy it on impulse and try smoking”.

I agree with her completely, especially about its influence on teenagers — the group that is most likely to be influenced.

Besides imposing a ban on the display of tobacco products, why not take a further step to prevent the influence of smoking? Why not ban public smoking altogether?

I am sure seeing someone smoking has more influence than looking at a product.

Perhaps the Government should mandate the building of designated smoking rooms all over Singapore.

There are advantages to confining smokers to these well-filtered and isolated rooms. There will be the reduction of pollution from the cigarette smoke in the air around us, and it will be easier to catch underage smokers if surveillance cameras are installed in the rooms.

It can also reduce littering or even fire hazards caused by cigarette butts being thrown indiscriminately.