Regulation for Use of Shisha

Mdm Speaker, shisha smoking is no less harmful to health as other forms of tobacco use. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a typical session of shisha smoking involves the inhalation of smoke that is equivalent to smoking 100 or more cigarettes. This exposes the shisha smoker to high levels of harmful smoke toxicants, including tar, carbon monoxide and nicotine. A research study in the United States found higher levels of such toxicants in shisha smoke compared to cigarette smoke. According to WHO, the health risks for shisha smokers and exposed by-standers include

Page: 17

cancers, heart diseases, respiratory diseases and adverse effects on unborn babies if exposure occurs during pregnancy. Several studies also found that shisha smoke contains high levels of fine particulate matter, also known as PM2.5. This increases the ambient pollutant levels which can adversely impact bystander.

Due to the sweet smelling smoke and passing of the smoke through water in the apparatus, there are often misconceptions that shisha smoking is less harmful and addictive. A recent WHO report on shisha smoking stated that the misconceptions, together with the social nature of shisha smoking, have contributed to an increase in shisha smoking globally, particularly among young people, which raises further concerns that shisha smoking may serve as a gateway to cigarette smoking.

Similar trends have been observed locally. The National Health Survey 2010 showed that 7.8% of young adults aged 18-29 years smoke shisha at least occasionally, compared to 1% among older adults. The Student Health Survey found that the proportion of students who used alternative tobacco products, including shisha, had increased from 2% in 2009 to 9% in 2012. In another study conducted by the Health Promotion Board (HPB), three in five, or 61.1%, shisha smokers wrongly believed that smoking shisha was less harmful than cigarettes.

My Ministry has reviewed the regulatory framework for shisha over the past year, with a view to strengthening the control of shisha. In view of the health risks associated with shisha smoking and to prevent the proliferation and entrenchment of shisha smoking in Singapore, my Ministry intends to prohibit the import, distribution and sale of shisha.

The ban will be effected later this month, via the publication of the new Prohibited Tobacco Products Regulations made under section 15 of the Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) Act. However, as a transitional measure, existing licensed tobacco importers and retailers who import or sell shisha tobacco will be allowed to continue importing and retailing shisha tobacco until 31 July 2016. This allows such importers and retailers ample time to deplete their stock and restructure their businesses away from the shisha business. My Ministry will also continue to enhance public education efforts on the harms of shisha smoking.

Sorry about that. I have got two supplementary questions. The first is in relation to part (b) of my original Parliamentary Question (PQ). I am also mindful that with the widespread use of shisha – there are many retailers out there – I would just like to know whether there is any idea about how prevalent the retail sector is, in terms of sale of shisha, and how they might be affected by this ban.

The second supplementary question is, in view of this transition period, I would like to hear a bit more about the details of this transition period, whether there is a risk that some of these retailers might stockpile stocks of shisha and whether there are any specific measures that we might look at to prevent illicit use or sale of shisha during this period.

Madam, I would like to thank the Member for sharing with us his perspective as a medical doctor and also for his supplementary questions.

For his first question: as at 31 October 2014, there are 16 licensed shisha retailers. They are located in Boat Quay, Capital Square, Clarke Quay, Kampong Glam and Holland Village. Essentially, we have provided that transitional period, so that it can help them to deplete the stockpile that they have and also to see how they can find ways to restructure their business model.

We have developed a regulatory as well as enforcement framework among Health Sciences Authority (HSA), NEA and Customs to see how we can work together and look at how we can regulate some of these activities by the retailers.

We understand the Member's concern about stockpiling and we are mindful of that. As such, what we are thinking is that we will continue to enforce such an action and step up action, so that at the end of the day, we want to protect our fellow Singaporeans and everyone here in Singapore from the health risks associated with shisha smoking, because we care for their lives.

I thank the Parliamentary Secretary. There are those who purchase shisha during overseas travel and bring them back for personal consumption, not me. How will this be affected with the implementation of the prohibition?

Page: 19

The other question is what can MOH do to educate our public, especially our young, about the harmful effects of shisha smoking? We increasingly see a lot of our young smoking shisha, especially around the Kampong Glam area.

I thank the hon Member for the question. Essentially, the simple answer is no. You cannot import or bring in any amount of shisha in Singapore. At the end of the day, like what I said earlier, we want to protect everyone from the health risks associated with shisha smoking.

The Member's second question relates to what MOH will do. Through HPB and its partners, we will continue to share and engage the public on the harmful effects of shisha and its addictive nature. For example, we have engaged community organisations as well as schools, ITE, Polytechnics, Universities and we have shared with them online materials as well as printed resources on the harmful effects of shisha. In fact, these few months, we are ramping up our effort to reach out to the people, especially targeting the young, with clear messages about the harmful effects of shisha for this current period of the campaign.