6 People in S’pore Die From Smoking-Related Diseases Every Day

Last Updated on 2023-04-01 , 4:05 pm

Singapore has been extremely active in recent years in trying to get Singaporeans to quit smoking.

From raising the minimum legal age for smoking cigarettes to designating even more smoke-free zones in the country, the government has been trying to curb smoking habits in Singapore.

And smokers are extremely unhappy about it.

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But smokers, when you hear about the statistics of smoking, you’d probably throw away your current cigarette box and (try to) quit smoking.

6 People in S’pore Die From Smoking-Related Diseases Every Single Day

Tobacco is said to kill 5.4 million people annually around the world. To bring the figure home, one person will die every six seconds.

But you think, that’s the world mah. I’ve smoked India’s cigarettes before, those can kill.

In Singapore, about 6 people die from smoking-related diseases every single day.

Diseases with a high killing rate include:

• Cancer
• Heart disease
• Stroke
• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

And the best part: tobacco kills up to half of their users eventually.

Yup. It’s like a guaranteed death sentence. 

Smoking Menthol Cigarettes Could Be Worse Than Normal Cigarettes

I know what the smokers are thinking: I can’t go cold turkey. I’ll never be able to function properly for work.

Maybe I’ll switch to a cigarette with less nicotine content instead. Bad idea.

Because doing so doesn’t mean you’re limiting the harmful effects to your body. In fact, by smoking cigarettes with lesser nicotine than what you’re used to, you might just go through your cigarettes even faster.

Another common misconception people have about smoking is that if you smoke reds, you’ll die earlier than people who smoke menthols.

Nope, not true.

The menthol-ed cigarettes simply add a flavour to your cigarettes. Even worse, because of the cooling effects of menthol, your cough reflex and the dry feeling in your throat could be lessened.

This means people who smoke menthol cigarettes can take in more smoke and hold it in longer.

You don’t need a PhD to know that’s not exactly good for your lungs.

So Why Doesn’t The Government Just Outright Ban Cigarettes in Singapore?

Here’s the question that most Singaporeans are asking: if the government is truly trying to stamp out smoking in Singapore, why don’t they just ban it in the country?

And the answer is…I don’t know. If I do, I’ll probably become a Member of Parliament and earn over $10K a month.

Is It Because The Government Needs Revenue?

Some people feel that the reason why the SG government doesn’t just outright ban cigarettes is also due to the high taxes they enjoy from selling the products in Singapore.

Now, while I’m not important enough to know whether that’s really true, what I do know is that with smoking, there are also costs incurred.

Direct cost like payments (or subsidies) for hospitalisation and healthcare due to smoking, lost productivity in Singapore due to deaths and early deaths from smoking-related diseases.

But if I were to guess, it’s probably because of the consequences. 

What will happen if the government bans cigarettes tomorrow? I think the entire country will erupt into chaos.

I mean, the most recent suggestion to curb smoking at home raised so much outrage you’d think we’re returning back to the 1960s.

Think riots, not-fully rational smokers and a bustling black market for cigarettes which requires even more money for the government to attempt to stamp out.

Not exactly good for a country which has $20 billion in tourist revenue, most of whom will come to Singapore because it’s safe and enjoyable to be here.

So, yes, it’s probably better to wean Singaporeans off cigarettes than to do a Tiger Mom and say: nope. you’re not allowed to do it anymore.

We’ll probably destroy ourselves from within if that ever happens.

But that’s just my take. What about you?