Last Updated on 2018-06-05 , 11:59 am

Last year, the NEA announced that smoking in public areas on Orchard Road will be banned, starting from July 2018.

If you’ve been to Orchard Road, you would have seen countless smokers gathering at different rubbish bins, from the typical shoppers to workers from nearby buildings.

Well, at least you’ve got exactly one year to change your habits if you’re a smoker. Here’s what you should know about this ban.

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Why the ban?

According to the news release by NEA, it is to “protect the public from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke.” That kind of makes sense because smokers tend to stick around rubbish bins that are peppered on the sides of the walkway.

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Where exactly is the ban?

To some people, “Orchard Road” is anywhere in town though we all know that’s incorrect. To ensure that you stay within the boundary of the law (pun unintended; seriously!), here’s a map.

You’ll realize that it’s not just along Orchard Road, but the minor roads that connect to Orchard Road as well.

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When does it start?

NEA has worked with the Orchard Road Business Association to create a smoke-free Orchard Road since August 2015. The announcement was made last year June and this ban will officially kick in from 1 July 2018.

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What will happen if smokers light up in the prohibited areas from 1 July 2018?

From 1 July 2018 to 30 September 2018, people caught lighting up in the areas be given verbal warnings, while repeated offenders will be fined.

From 1 October 2018, offenders won’t be “pang chance”: enforcement actions will be taken immediately.

And just in case you think it’s all lip service, here are some numbers: 19,000 tickets were issued in 2016 to people who smoked in prohibited area. So please bear in mind what NS has taught us: don’t test the system.

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Where can smokers smoke then?

Anyone who has been in NS would know about the “yellow boxes”: a designated place for smoking. Officially known as Designated Smoking Areas (DSAs), they’ll be strategically placed in the area to ensure that they keep high-traffic areas free from second-hand smoke. The sizes of the DSAs will depend on the area, but it’ll always be less than 10 sqm.

There’s no mention of whether these DSAs would be sheltered or not.

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What’s this thing about “application for smoking corners closed”?

Oddly enough, this has nothing to do with the ban in Orchard Road, but could have been something that should hog the headlines instead.

In food outlets, say a coffee shop, there’s often a small area for smokers. From now on (that is, today; right this moment), NEA will not accept applications for smoking corners in all food retail establishments.

In other words, new coffeeshops would not have any smoking areas. Those that currently have smoking areas are still allowed to remain but would not be able to renew its licence once they expire.

So smokers, this is something even more extreme, isn’t it? No coffee with your cigarettes soon.

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