SINGAPORE — Smokers in the Orchard Road precinct appear to be getting the message about a ban on lighting up outside designated smoking areas going by a dramatic fall in the number of offenders caught by the National Environment Agency (NEA).

In a media release on Friday (Jan 17), the NEA said that after the Orchard Road precinct ban took effect on Jan 1, 2019, it issued an average of 735 advisory warnings to smokers every day in the period until March that year.

When the smoking ban was officially enforced from April 1, an average of 21 smokers were issued with tickets each day, the NEA said.

That figure was reduced to 14 tickets per day, on average, from May to December last year, as a result of consistent enforcement and process refinement, the agency added.

“The reduction in the number of tickets issued showed that smokers were generally aware that the Orchard Road precinct had become a no smoking zone,” the NEA said.

Details on the Orchard Road precinct smoke-free precinct. Infographic: National Environment Agency

A survey of 1,000 people including 400 smokers conducted by the NEA in July last year found that 80 per cent of respondents and 60 per cent of smokers supported the no smoking zone. The top reason cited by smokers was the positive impact on public health.

OFFICERS AND CCTV USED TO DETECT SMOKERS

The NEA has deployed both uniformed and non-uniformed officers to the Orchard Road no smoking zones.

More than 340 community volunteers were also engaged to patrol the zones. The volunteers also help to educate smokers to stop smoking in prohibited areas and direct them to designated smoking areas.

Security cameras have also been installed along the so smoking zones.

In 2018, NEA collaborated with GovTech to study how the use of video analytics can detect smoking in public areas.

After a two-week trial, results showed an 80 per cent level of accuracy in differentiating smoking and non-smoking incidents.

More trials will be conducted in the first half of this year at other places where smoking is banned or where there have been multiple feedback. These trials will determine the feasibility of the video analytics technology, the NEA said.

NEA said it takes a strict stance against smokers who flout the law, and their officers conduct regular enforcement in areas where smoking is prohibited.

The agency will continue to work closely with various stakeholders to educate the public, to raise awareness on acceptable social norms, and to encourage people to be considerate and smoke only in permitted areas.

Advice on the Orchard Road smoke-free precinct. Infographic: National Environment Agency