SINGAPORE — From April 1, smokers in the Orchard Road precinct caught lighting up outside of designated smoking areas can expect a fine, rather than a warning, said the National Environment Agency (NEA) on Friday (March 29).

Those caught in the act may face a composition fine of S$200, or up to a maximum court fine of S$1,000.

Orchard Road was made a smoke free zone from Jan 1 this year, starting with a three-month “advisory period” which ends on March 31.

The NEA said it adopted an advisory approach to give people sufficient time to adjust.

During this time, those who were caught smoking were let off with verbal warnings at first, and then written warnings from around mid-March.

The “vast majority” of smokers were receptive to the warnings and moved to designated smoking areas, said the agency.

The number of verbal warnings fell from an average of 1,900 a day in the first week of January, to an average of 550 a day in mid-March — a drop of more than 70 per cent.

This fell further to 87 a day from March 18, when NEA’s officers started issuing written warnings.

To cater to smokers, more than 50 designated areas have been set up at regular intervals within Orchard Road. Most of them are marked as yellow boxes outside shopping centres and hotels.

Dr Sue Lo, Director at The Harley Street Heart & Cancer Centre, said that the smoke free zone is “an invaluable initiative”.

“By segregating smokers from the non-smokers, it removes the risk of exposure to the non-smokers, as well as reducing the temptation faced by smokers who are trying to quit the habit,” she said.

The Orchard Road smoking ban was first announced in 2017 and was set to kick off in July last year, but was later pushed back to end-2018 to give businesses more time to prepare.

To keep tourists informed of the ban, the NEA said that informational materials have been placed at the Orchard Road Singapore Visitor Centre, and points of entry such as the Singapore Cruise Centre and Marina Bay Cruise Centre.

Ads, posters and brochures have also been displayed throughout the shopping belt, including places such as hotels, malls, MRT stations, and even shops selling tobacco products, said the NEA.