Smoking Prohibition
Smoking prohibition in Singapore was first introduced in 1970. Under the Smoking (Prohibition in Certain Places) Act 1992, “smoking” is defined as inhaling and expelling the smoke of tobacco or any other substance, and includes the holding of any cigar, cigarette, pipe or any other form of tobacco product which is alight or emitting smoke.

To protect non-smokers from the harmful effects of second-hand tobacco smoke, the National Environment Agency is progressively extending the Smoking (Prohibition in Certain Places) Regulations 2018 to more public places where the public are more likely to be exposed everyday to second-hand tobacco smoke, in consultation with the public and relevant stakeholders. These include areas in buildings, retail food establishments, transport nodes, public service vehicles, sports and recreational facilities.
Under the law, premises managers and operators are required to stop any person who smokes from smoking in such prohibited places or request that they leave the premises. Given the large number of places where smoking is prohibited, it is not possible for NEA to deploy officers to watch over all these locations at all times. Smokers are reminded to be socially responsible and be considerate when smoking in public places, and to smoke only in areas where smoking is not prohibited. The community can also play an active role by reminding smokers not to light up at places where smoking is prohibited.
Everyone plays a part, and together, we can make Singapore a cleaner and healthier place for all to live in.
List of Places Where Smoking is Prohibited |
It is an offence for a person to smoke in smoking prohibited areas listed under the
Smoking (Prohibition in Certain Places) Regulations 2018.
1. If you are within a building or public service vehicle, it is largely not permitted to smoke except at indoor smoking rooms and uncovered areas on the rooftops of multi-storey carparks. This includes any common properties within any residential building, atrium, courtyard, common corridor, lifts, lobby, void deck, and stairwell.
2. If you are outside a building or public service vehicle, the following are also smoking prohibited:
Everywhere around the hospital compounds
Educational institutions and their compounds including any area within five metres of the school compound
Covered linkways
Bus stops, bus shelters, and bus poles, including any area within a five metre radius
Parks in public housing estates managed by the respective Town Councils
Parks under the purview of JTC Corporation
Playgrounds and exercise areas, including adjacent amenities for users
Reservoirs; Active, Beautiful, Clean Waters (ABC Waters) Sites; 10 Recreational Beaches*; Parks and Gardens
Swimming pools, including changing and shower rooms or areas for users of the swimming pool and areas within five metres of the swimming pool.
Pavilions within any residential premises meant to hold functions
Pedestrian overhead bridges, covered or underground walkways
Washrooms, including mobile toilets
- Public areas within the Orchard Road precinct designated as a No Smoking Zone
Any area within five metres of ventilation intakes, external windows, openings, entrances, and exits to buildings of commercial, industrial or recreational purposes or publicly accessible where smoking is prohibited
Please note that smoking is also prohibited at all parks, gardens and nature reserves managed by National Parks Board. Click here for more information.
*Smoking is prohibited at Changi Beach, East Coast Beach, West Coast Beach, Sembawang Beach, Pasir Ris Beach, Coney Island Beach, Punggol Beach, Siloso Beach, Palawan Beach and Tanjong Beach.
List of Areas where Smoking is Allowed* |
- If you are at the following locations, smoking is allowed in the smoking facilities i.e. smoking corner, smoking room and designated smoking area.
Approved smoking corners at food retail establishments
Smoking rooms at office premises, Changi Airport, public entertainment outlets.
Designated smoking areas within
University compounds,
Parks under the purview of JTC,
Camps or building occupied by officers of MINDEF and
Orchard Road No Smoking Zone
If you are at these areas, smoking is allowed:
Residential homes
Private vehicles (e.g. cars), as long as no second-hand tobacco smoke is expelled (i.e. windows are fully wound up) in smoking prohibited places
Open spaces in residential estates
Open space (i.e. Unsheltered) in town centres
Open public spaces except at Orchard Road No Smoking Zone
Surface carparks except those at Orchard Road No Smoking Zone
Uncovered areas on the top deck of multi-storey carpark buildings except those at Orchard Road No Smoking Zone
Uncovered walkways except those at Orchard Road No Smoking Zone
Vacant land except those at Orchard Road No Smoking Zone
In a place where smoking is usually permitted, there are some temporary exceptions where smoking is prohibited:
*Specific areas, facilities, or buildings located in the above premises (e.g. restaurants and five metres from entrances to buildings) will still be smoking prohibited areas.
*Aside from the national smoking prohibition laws, the public should be mindful of any additional house rules or by-laws put in place by owners/managers of premises against smoking in their premises.
More information on the smoking prohibition |