The government has announced the decision to extend the smoking ban to coffee shops. Although I am a non-smoker, I am against this measure.
1) It will affect the business of coffee shops. Business these days is already so tough for the poor chaps.
2) It is rather unfair to the smokers. If smoking is so bad then you should ban it outright. If you choose not to ban it, then you should at least let these guys (who are already paying so much taxes) to have some places to enjoy their fixes.
3) Coffee shops are supposed to set aside the open-air areas for the smokers. In our hot climate, that is in fact the best place. Whenever, I eat out with my family to at coffee shops, we like to sit there.
4) I noticed that many smokers have the nasty habit of flicking their ashes onto the floor and then discarding the butt (again on the floor) and stepping on it. I have even seen well-dressed young ladies do that. Now if these people are forced to take their smoking to the void decks, wouldn’t that add to the littering problem – which NEA is already finding it tough to contain.
5) Last but not least, I think this is another one of those laws that simply cannot enforced; (like the “flush after use or you get fined” law). In any case, as one of our ministers pointed out in parliament last year during the 'great casino debate', Singaporeans are matured enough to decide what is right and wrong. So they don't need more regulations to tell them what they should and should not do.
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3 comments:
Hi Sleepless in Singapore, I have mixed feelings about this:
On one hand, I feel that smokers should have the right to smoke anywhere but on the other hand, I have encountered smokers who are rather inconsiderate, on many occasions. For example, if they notice that there is a pregnant lady and a baby around, they should at least be kind enough to refrain from smoking (and from blowing the smoke in our direction). But what I noticed is that they will just carry on nonchalantly, without any concern for people around them. In this case, it is rather unfair to the non-smokers as well as people who might want or need to avoid the smoke for health reasons, I think...
Hi, thanks for stopping by.
I suppose you are right. I too have have mixed feelings about this issue. But I think it is very difficult to stop problem of inconsiderate behaviour by legislation; may even backfire. Education, on the other hand takes time and may not work. So I suppose we need to give and take. Afterall, most of us are guilty of inconsiderate behaviour once in a while.
In any case, I believe the harm from cigarette smoke in non-aircon coffee shop is not serious becos they usually turn the fans on full blast and the duration of exposure to the hazard is not long. Sometimes, when we are standing on a road divider and a bus drives by, the exhaust is probably worse.
Hi Sleepless.in.Singapore,
"But I think it is very difficult to stop problem of inconsiderate behaviour by legislation; may even backfire. Education, on the other hand takes time and may not work. So I suppose we need to give and take.."
Hm...that's true... :)
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