Technical Assistance from HDB to Reduce Diffusion of Second-hand Smoke into Flats

Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for National Development what forms of technical assistance does HDB provide to flat occupants to reduce the diffusion of second-hand smoke at its source or prevent smoke from entering their flats.

When second-hand tobacco smoke drifts from one HDB unit to another, it could cause discomfort and nuisance to neighbours. When approached by residents affected by second-hand tobacco smoke from neighbouring homes, HDB, together with Town Councils and NEA, would first encourage neighbours to speak to each other to try to resolve the matter. Where necessary, a Joint Advisory on Smoking in Homes will be issued to the flat reported to be emitting second-hand smoke, encouraging considerate behaviour and emphasising the harmful impact that second-hand smoke may have on their neighbours.

If this does not work, the agencies will advise the affected neighbour to seek mediation, followed by a filing at the Community Dispute Resolution Tribunal.

The Member is likely to be referring to a recent joint Call for Proposals issued by the Municipal Services Office (MSO) with the support of HDB, under the latter’s Cool Ideas Enterprise programme. The objective is to tap on technology to find innovative ways to tackle second-hand tobacco smoke. MSO welcomes proposals that can reduce second-hand smoke at its source, or prevent it from entering neighbouring units. MSO also welcomes proposals to help residents gather evidence that they can then use in the dispute resolution process, for example, non-intrusive means of identifying the source of cigarette smoke and measuring its impact on the affected households.

The Call for Proposals closes on 9 December, after which MSO will evaluate the proposals with HDB’s technical input to determine which are suitable for further development and trials. This complements ongoing efforts by an inter-agency committee led by MCCY to review the Community Dispute Management Framework. Among other things, the committee is looking at strengthening the effectiveness of community mediation and to make the last resort of filing a Community Dispute Resolution Tribunal case more accessible and expedient for claimants.