Singapore MPs question their government’s stance on vaping

The government of Singapore has been striving significantly to achieve a smokefree future, by implementing regulations such as banning smoking in public spaces and raising taxes. However, local MP’s rightfully feel that the local e-cigarette ban is counterproductive to this campaign.

Importing and selling vaping products has been banned in the island city-state since 2014, and possession of the products has been made illegal since December 2015. In line with Singapore’s Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) Act, anyone caught in possession of the products will be fined $2000  and as a consequence of this, Singapore is now known to have a thriving e-cigarette black market.

Closing in on electronic cigarettes

Last March, the Senior Minister of State for Health Amy Khor, said that the legal age for smoking and buying tobacco products in Singapore would be raised from 18 to 21. “We want to protect our young from the harms of tobacco, and lay the foundation for good health,” she said.

Then in June, Singapore launched a public consultation about raising the legal age. Additionally the Ministry of Health (MOH) said that it going to take action about a current loophole pertaining to e-cigarette regulations, pointing out that while the importation, distribution, sale of the products was currently prohibited, purchase, use and possession, were not.

Why banning e-cigs would be detrimental to public health

However would the latter be a smart move? This is what Singapore MPs are finally questioning. Mr Louis Ng (Nee Soon GRC) is wondering whether Singapore “might be missing out on a chance to benefit” from regulations that would allow the use of e-cigarettes for the purpose of smoking cessation. He referred to the fact that countries such as the UK have endorsed the devices as cessation tools, whilst carrying out extensive studies to weigh their benefits vs their risks.

Non-Constituency MP Leon Perera agrees with this approach. “Surely, the humane thing to do is to allow smokers — both those seeking to quit and reduce consumption — an avenue to use a less harmful product?” he said.

Sadly, in a commentary titled, “Singapore should aim to be smoke-free, not just smoke-lite” released last month, a Singaporean Professor of Public Health, said that electronic cigarettes are not any safer than regular cigarettes. “Emerging tobacco products such as e-cigarettes and heat-not-burn cigarettes… are no less harmful than cigarettes”, said professor and dean of Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, Dr Chia Kee Seng, whilst ignoring the countless studies that indicate otherwise.

The benefits in endorsing vaping for smoking cessation

Infact a study released last Summer and carried out by Dr William E Stephens from the University of St Andrews in the UK, looked into the risks from inhaling vapor in comparison to those from inhaling smoke. This study indicated that risks from vaping may be as low as 1% those of cigarette smoke.

Another recent study, from Georgetown University Medical Center in the United States, indicated that if smokers had to switch to e-cigarettes, up to 6.6 million early deaths could be avoided across the US alone.

Unfortunately, Parliamentary Secretary for Health, Amrin Amin seems to agree with Dr. Seng, and in response to the MPs said that research indicates that vaping products act as a gateway to smoking. A theory that has now been dispelled by a number of reliable studies.

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