Smoking Prohibition

Smoking prohibition in Singapore was first introduced in 1970. Under the Smoking (Prohibition in Certain Places) Act, “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 lit 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 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, food retail establishments, transport nodes, public service vehicles, sports and recreational facilities.

Under the law, operators and premises managers are required to stop patrons, visitors and staff from smoking in such prohibited areas 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.

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 or building 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 some 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*

1. 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

2. 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

3. In a place where smoking is usually permitted, there are some temporary exceptions where smoking is prohibited:

   • Covered drop-off and pick-up points whether permanent or temporary

   • Place for individuals to form a queue designated by manager of a place

*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

• For individuals
• For Stakeholders
• Other Agencies