The new point-of-sale display ban, passed by the Singapore Parliament on 14 March, will take effect after a one-year grace period and aims to ‘de-normalise’ tobacco use and to reduce the exposure, particularly of young people, to the advertising effect of tobacco product displays.
This positive step follows similar successful display bans which have been introduced in countries such as Australia, Canada, Iceland, New Zealand, Thailand and the UK.
The lead body for tobacco control in Singapore is the Health Promotion Board (HPB), a local statutory body. Prior to the passing of the changes to the Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) Bill on 14 March, the HPB consulted at roundtable sessions with relevant NGOs, including the Singapore Heart Foundation (SHF), the Singapore Anti-Tuberculosis Association and the Singapore Cancer Society.
SHF, a member of the World Heart Federation and the Asia Pacific Heart Network, supports and complements the efforts of HPB around tobacco control in Singapore.
