Ban smoking for those born in or after the year 2000.
This first-of-its-kind proposal was made earlier this month by Associate Professor Koong Heng Nung, head of the National Cancer Centre Singapore's surgical oncology department at the SingHealth Duke-NUS Scientific Congress 2010.
Since The Straits Times reported the proposal last week, some have written to the ST Forum to applaud the move.
Mr Branden Seow wrote: "Given the harmful effects of tobacco smoking, coupled with the fact that it is difficult for smokers to kick the habit, it makes sense to target the ban on those born from the year 2000 onwards."
Critics, however, have cited the infringement of human rights and freedom of choice that the proposed ban might impose.
One netizen, who identified himself as Mr Maverick, wrote: "I believe the liberty of choice. Just like you are free to decide whether to continue to pollute the environment by opting to have your own car."
In an interview with The New Paper, Prof Koong said that such a ban would allow society to be more proactive in stepping forward to help protect the young.
"Everyday I come across people who are dying of cancer, some as young as 40 years old, all because they started smoking at a young age," said Prof Koong.
He asked, "Can we still talk about a loss of freedom when people are dying everyday?"
Prof Koong said that the issue at hand is not to stop existing smokers from smoking, but rather, to prevent future generations from being addicted.
Three youth counsellors The New Paper spoke to said young smokers start experimental puffing from as young as 11. By 13, many get addicted.
According to Dr Carol Balhetchet, director of Youth Services at the Singapore Children's Society, about 6 out of 10 smokers the centre comes across are below 18.
"Stress is the most common reason cited by for picking up the habit," said Dr Balhetchet.
Ten years ago, the prevalent age at which youths would pick up smoking was between 15 and 16.
Ms Sheena Jebal, CEO and founder of NuLife Care & Counselling Services, said youths may try to get cigarettes by illegal means if the proposal comes into effect.
She said: "This might create the impression that the forbidden fruit is juicier..."
Write a 200-word reflection on your views about this proposal. How effective would it be to deal with teenage smoking? You can also suggest alternative methods that the government can take to tackle this issue, if you disagree with this proposal.
Benny Lim 3d qtss
ReplyDeleteI think that banning people whom are borned after 2000 from smoking is not a good idea. This may cause social problems in which people are unhappy with the fact that they are not given 'human rights'. On top of that, shops like 7/11, coffeeshops, mama shops need to sell cigarettes to earn the extra income, if smoking is banned, the future generation might go to Malaysia to buy their cigarettes as it is much cheaper there. Although cigarettes are bad for health, they are one of our nation's top killer, i would rather the government to invest in more $$ giving courses that help people to cure their addictions, as from what that is imposed on the article, "This might create the impression that the forbidden fruit is juicier..."
which i strongly agree. People tend to have a tedency to try illegal things, thanks.
i think that banning smoking is good and it will be effective. teenagers nowadays will tend to smoke due to peer pressure or think that they are cool. so by banning smoking will help to prevent them from addicted to smoking, and prevent harmful smoke from going in their body.................
ReplyDeleteStopping teenagers from smoking is a very difficult task nowadays. Cigarettes are very easily available. Shop owners sells them cigarettes to earn more money not caring about their age. No matter how we stop them, they have their ways to get cigarettes. They use ICs from other people or ask an adult to purchase for them. Therefore, i think it's almost impossible to stop teenagers from smoking but it is possible to stop this from happening as parents put in effort to teach the younger ones about the negative impacts of smoking.
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ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletei agree that the banning of smoking will help to stop the smoking situation and the there will be a huge decrease in smokers. However most of the adult smokers and tourist that visit Singapore would also be affected by this rule. so there it will impact the tourist and people in Singapore. so i suggest that the government can use another method such as making sure that all children under the age of 18 are not allowed t smoke. and if they try to use illegal methods to try to get these cigarettes, the government can punish them and fining them for doing so. and we can also tighten the security to ensure that no one will illegally get these cigarettes. the government can also promote non-smoking by starting campaigns and advertise the harms smoking can do to your body and its bad for the persons health. These methods would be much better than banning the usage of cigarettes but it will not be as effective. This is as young people will still try to get these cigarettes by illegal means. As most of these youths do not really care about the harms and punishment that they may receive and some of them may even find if thrilling to use illegal methods to get cigarettes.
ReplyDeleteAjmeer
ReplyDeleteI think that banning cigarettes might be a effective solution. Smoking causes a lot of diseases and even death. Teenagers start smoking at a very young age. To prevent this drastic measures such as banning cigarettes for those born in and after 2000 would be helpful. But this might Singapore's economy and these people would be able to buy cigarettes in other countries such as Malaysia. Overall I think that this would be a good measure in preventing teenage smoking.
Tan Cai Fong- 3C Band3
ReplyDeleteThe banning of those born from the year 2000 onwards would cause many tension between the citizens and the government. Many would complain that they are not recieving their human rights in this world when the government was known to set the law for the good. They may also hence start to commit crimes such as smuggling cigarettes from other countries or even worse, giving up on cigarettes but going for other illegal drugs. Besides that, many of the convinient stores are still selling and stocking the same amount cigarettes even when the government is banning people from cigarettes. I think that the govenrment should spent their time and money on more efficient things such as thinking of ideas on how to prevent more people from smoking, such as the pictures on the cigarette boxes. Courses could also be provided for families to learn on the consequeces for their health that cigarettes could cause, making them understanding more on the consequences and hence reducing the amount of people smoking, and also providing a better example for children when their parents have learnt not to smoke and the consequences of it.
I feel that it will be a tedious task to carry out, if the government is planning on wanting to stop teens from smoking. As they may have already been exposed to smoking at such a young age,it may be difficult to change their habits as they regard smoking as part of a daily activity in their lifes. However,the effectiveness of whether the government is able to stop teens from smoking really depends on the seriousness of the effects of smoking. When teens know how tragic these consequences are, their views may change. Smoking to me, is something that no one should take up. Once you start, it is going to be hard to stop. Even though they may provide pleasurable effects, it damages the body and causes great harm to the person's health. Some effects may even be detrimental and irreversible. In conclusion, I hope that all smokers will be able to give up smoking, and that the government will be able to persuade teens to stop smoking, before they bring that as a habit to adulthood.
ReplyDeleteI think that banning prople who are borned after year 2000 from smoking is a good idea. I think that by doing so, it will greatly reduce the number of people who are victims of diseases caused by smoking every year. This will also reduce air pollution to a small extent, and people in hawker centres and coffee shops will find it easier to find seats in areas which are not shrouded by smoke.
ReplyDeletePeople also need not spend so much money on cigarettes if they are banned, and people will not get addicted to smoking at a young age.
Regarding "This might create the impression that the forbidden fruit is juicier", I think that people may travel to other countries to purchase cigarettes at first, but will soon find that it is too much of a hassle and may eventually quit smoking.
This will also cause the number of people dying of cancer each year to decrease as they are not exposed to cigarettes, unless they managed to obtain them by illgeal means.
I also think that people should attend workshops that can help to reduce stress so that they can find it as an alternative way to reduce stress instead of smoking.
I think that banning people from smoking is a not good idea. As no matter how you stop them, they will still find way to smoke. Example, they will attempt to buy illegal cigarettes which are more toxins and may harm more people through second-hand smoke. This may cause teenagers to be unhappy as they might feel that they are given the freedom they want. Worse, who knows if they would steal from shops or just go to drugs? I think it will be more productive if the government arranges talks for primary school students about the negative effects of smoking as to teach them the right thing from young. Also, they can ban cigarettes from mama shops or coffee shops as there the store owners don’t really check like shops like seven eleven. Lastly, it is just too hard to stop them from smoking nowadays due to the easy access to cigarettes and parents smoke too. In conclusion, this is not a good idea to ban people from smoking.
ReplyDeleteQuekHouYee 3A
ReplyDeleteI do not find that making a ban on smoking for people who were born after 2000 an effective solution. Although the government may say that people are dieing at a young age of 40 and above,but the people who died had chosen that road and this will cause anger to built up in the people who wants freedom. The government know that stress is the main cause of smoking and they should find a solution revolving the problem with stress. Instead, they choose to make a ban, causing teenage smokers to get cigarettes through illegal means as what the article says "This might create the impression that the forbidden fruit is juicier..." The main source of stress in teenagers come from school. The government could reduce the amount of homework given or allow homework to be handed in a later date. But this will only work if the teenagers who smoke are affected by schoolwork or who even do schoolwork. The government should also find out about the other causes of stress in teenagers and slowly tackle these problems. In conclusion, the solution to this issue is not by making a ban but trying to reduce stress in people which is the main cause for smoking.
Melissa Lim - 3C
ReplyDeletei think they should ban people who are born after 2000. smoking is bad for health and can cause many diseases after many years. more teenagers are taking up smoking at such a young age which not good for their health. i think government shouldnt sell cigarettes even though it's a good business for everyone everywhere. people that are selling illegal cigarettes to student under 18 years old should be caught and being punished to a heavy penalty. people who buys cigarettes from other countries into singapore, should be punished by the penalty too. in order to reduce the rate of people buying illegal cigarettes and the number of people who smokes. banning smoking is also good because people smoke due to pressure from studies and friends. in order to relief stress, people smokes. due to peer pressure, and wanting to stay with that group of friends, they will be asked to smoke together. the teenagers nowadays find it "cool" to smoke. it's not just the government who have to do something about banning people born after year 2000 from smoking. but also the parents who plays a big role. they should teach their children of what is right and wrong, and prevent their child from smoking. if they are already smoking, the parents should do something in order to stop him from smoking.
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ReplyDeletei agree that banning smoking in singapore would benefit a great deal of people, especially the teenagers who are addicted to smoking. however it would obviously be difficult to control the whole country and prevent every single person from smoking. it would take extra effort to wipe out cigarettes in singapore, especially since there are many shops selling them as well as illegal peddlers. the governmwent should also introduce several schemes to help these teenagers who are addicted to smoking. not helping these people might result in them resorting to desperate means to get their hands on cigarettes.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the proposal because I think this is the only way to stop young people from smoking. However Why only implement the ban to only those who are born after year 2000? I would rather the government put the ban in place to everyone now. If saving lives is one thing that helps from banning smoking, then i would suggest that the ban should be executed now. Smoking not only affects the smoker himself but also people around them. So, banning smoking will benefit other people greatly as second hand smoke is more harmful than smoking itself. Besides tobacco is a form of drug like marijuana. It should be illegal!
ReplyDeleteMy views on banning smoking to those who are born 1990 onwards is a correct thing to do. Because these people should not be smoking at such a young age, it is bad for health - resulting in lung cancer due to smoking. What if everything was going perfectly for you, you get to study further and then you suddenly found out that you have this disease due to smoking and that it cannot be cured resulting in early death? Then everything that you have worked hard for, will be useless. Not only that, picking up smoking at an young age would also set a bad example to the younger generation. If 8/10 of the students in Singapore smoke here, then what will the tourists that visits Singapore think? Smoking at such a young age in Singapore is legal? That would definitely leave a bad impression to the foreigners, especially to those that come from a rich and proper background. Therefore, I think it is best to ban smokers who smoke at a young age.
ReplyDeletei disagree with the idea because it would be unfair for the younger generation. the rule which said no smoking under 18 should be carried on so that it will be fair to the rest. cigarattes are one way how Singapore could earn alot and if it is banned the economy will flop. instead they should ban all teenagers to smoke and make it illegal so that they would not get addicted and not try it when they reach adulthood.
ReplyDeleteSmoking bans are public policies, including criminal laws and occupational safety and health regulations, which prohibit tobacco smoking in workplaces or other public spaces.Smoking bans are nothing if not controversial.Study after study has shown that have a ban on cigarettes show significant health improvements.Respiratory problems decline both for smoking and non-smoking workers, and people with asthma have shown reduced airway inflammation and improved quality of life.Bans on smoking in public places also benefit public health generally.Smoking bans reduce risk of heart disease and heart attack.However,ban smoking is not the other way,There are still other alternatives such as do not drink alcoholic drink.Try non-alcoholic drinks, or try drinking only in bars, restaurant-bars, or friends’ houses where smoking inside is prohibited. But of all,the main way to quit smoking is depend on how determine ur will is.You need mental support from ur family and friends.They must stay with you all the time and encourage you to quit.
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ReplyDeletei think they should ban people who are born after 2000. smoking is bad for health and can cause many diseases after many years. more teenagers are taking up smoking at such a young age which not good for their health.i think they should ban people who are born after 2000. smoking is bad for health and can cause many diseases after many years. more teenagers are taking up smoking at such a young age which not good for their health. the teenagers think that smoking is cool. all those selling contraband cigarettes should be caught and be punished by the law. therefore i personally think the banning of smoking would aid the society. from wesley n sufa. (:
ReplyDeleteI agree with the article that smoking should ban! Smoking kills and it affects our body system. Although smokers might seem healthy, they're actually dying of cancer. Teenagers claims that they smoke to release stress, but they are probably unaware of the effects of smoking. Therefore I think its right to ban smokers who smoke at a younge age.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI think that banning people who are borned after year 2000 is just a temporary solution to the smoking addiction problem and hence is not a good idea. Alternative solutions that can be used as a permanent solution to this problem include heavily emphasizing on the negative effects of smoking through our education system and helping addicts pull out of their addiction through counselling and various other programmes. Banning people who are borned after year 2000 may not stop them from getting their hands on cigarettes completely as they could get cigarettes through other means such as getting someone else to buy for them.
ReplyDelete- Ren Yu 3C
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ReplyDeleteOng Xin Yi 3C
ReplyDeleteI think that it is a good idea to ban smoking because smoking is bad for health and it affects people’s appearance by giving them bad breath and disgusting teeth. Nowadays people start smoking from a teenager. This is probably due to curiosity or peer pressure or other reasons. They think that it is “cool” to do something other teenagers avoided. However, they might not know what harm it might cause to them in the future. By banning smoking, teenagers will not be able to smoke as there is no way they can get cigarettes. It is better to do it earlier before more teenagers get addicted. If those who smoked once or twice are banned from smoking, they might be able to forget about it after awhile. For those who are already addicted to smoking, parents and schools can educate them and help them to not think about smoking. If young smokers are allowed to smoke, this will be passed down to the next generation and it would be harder to stop.
I think this is a good proposal. Though it may not be of help for the current teenage smokers, but it will help a lot in preventing the future generations from smoking. The trend of people getting cancer at young age is rising, and smoking is one of the reasons why people get cancer at such young age as they start smoking earlier than in the past. Therefore, starting to educate children from young age that smoking is bad for health is as important as banning them from smoking. Some may think that banning smoking for those born in or after the year 2000 may be depriving their human rights, but I agree with Prof Koong that "Can we still talk about a loss of freedom when people are dying everyday?” This is a fact that everybody must face. If we don’t prevent now, it will be more difficult to control in the future. We must start to educate younger generations about the harm of smoking and convince them not to follow the path of those people who smokes and what harm they had did to themselves. We can also try to get people who had regretted smoking to share their experience with younger generations. (:
ReplyDeletePEIYI 3D
I agree that the ban should be imposed because this ban can help prevent more young children from smoking at a young age. This will help prevent the spread of the bad habit which last a lifetime. Smoking is a bad habit that is very hard to kick and it is known to cause lung cancer which is one of the deadliest cancers. This ban will also help in preventing the spread of smoking through peer pressure as most young people start smoking through their friend's recommendations when they are stressed. Therefore with this ban,it can help prevent the spread of smoking and at the same time,save the lives of the future generations.
ReplyDeletebelinda - 3D.
ReplyDeletei think that they should ban smoking for people that are borned after 2000. yes, it may seem that smoking reduces stress, but it also causes health problems like heart failure. There are other methods to relief stress without harming your body. i dont see why smoking is a NEED for some people in their daily lifes. i think that without smoking, lesser people will have health problems. many people might think that it is bad to ban it as it may cause social problems, etc. But banning it is good for us and for our future generation. I think that the goverment should ban smoking and put money into good use like rehablition centres/ helping people cure their addiction for smoking. For teenagers, if they do not get their cigarettes it will be easier to stop their addiction. teenagers dont smoke as much as the adults so it isnt as hard for them to quit. if teenagers quit smoking it will be better for them as they would be able to think with a clearer mindset. if teenagers smoke, they woulod most likely smokeas the grow older. this will affect their future generation as they would also pick up smoking from their parents. they would it is not easy to quit smoking therefore you need the helping and support of your fellow friends and family.
I think that society is doing it's best to stop as many teenagers as it can. Although there are still many teenagers out there smoking, it is still good to reduce the number of teenagers smoking. I agree that the ban should continue even though it is not very effective. At least, the ban should have an effect on most teenagers while there are still others out there smoking. As stated in the passage, teenagers will find new ways to get new cigarettes to smoke. Besides, persuaing them to stop is a highly difficult task. Once they start to smoke, nothing can be done to prevent them from smoking. So, even if that ban is proposed, most teenagers will find new ways to get cigarettes.
ReplyDeleteThough, there are also several alternate ways to stop them from smoking. More non-smoking signs should be put on to stop the teenagers from smoking. In schools' teachers and staff members should do frequent bag checks. All shops, including bars, should ban selling of cigarettes to teenagers under 18.
Stopping people borned after year 2000 from smoking is almost impossible as the fact that teenagers now a days have a seriouse tendancy of being repulsive espically against adults, forbidding them form smoking will definately case much negative effect which gives teens the mindset of 'The forbidden fruit is juicier'.
ReplyDeleteIn fact, if a person want to get a cigratte, there will always be ways for them to get it, buying from other countries like Malaysia, Indonisia... Banding smoking will also provide jobs and opportunities for illegal activities so I think it is better not to forbidden them at all, but giving them many restrictions like raising the cost of cigratte...
wen hao
I think that society is doing it's best to stop as many teenagers as it can. Although there are still many teenagers out there smoking, it is still good to reduce the number of teenagers smoking. I agree that the ban should continue even though it is not very effective. At least, the ban should have an effect on most teenagers while there are still others out there smoking. As stated in the passage, teenagers will find new ways to get new cigarettes to smoke. Besides, persuaing them to stop is a highly difficult task. Once they start to smoke, nothing can be done to prevent them from smoking. So, even if that ban is proposed, most teenagers will find new ways to get cigarettes.
ReplyDeleteThough, there are also several alternate ways to stop them from smoking. More non-smoking signs should be put on to stop the teenagers from smoking. In schools' teachers and staff members should do frequent bag checks. All shops, including bars, should ban selling of cigarettes to teenagers under 18.
I think proposal on banning smoking for those born in or after the year 2000 is not only an good idea but should be encouraged to carry out.This is due to the fact that smoking has many harmful effects on the body as well as it affects many people of diffent ages. Young smokers start experimental puffing from as young as 11. By 13, many get addicted. Youth starts smoking at a young age as they undergo stress which is the most common reason why they can pick up the habit easily.Secondly,the harmful effects of tobacco smoking, coupled with the fact that made it difficult for smokers to kick the habit. Smoker will suffer many form of cancer such as throat cancer, mouth cancer, etc.
ReplyDeleteNon-smokers who breathe in the smoke will become second hand smokers and will suffer even more. As a result, more people are dying of cancer, some as young as 40 years old, all because they started smoking at a young age. Beside, if smoking is niot banned, people tend to have a tedency to try illegal things.
Mark Tan
ReplyDeleteI agree that the government should ban smoking for those born in or after the year 2000. This policy could greatly reduce the increasing number of smokers in Singapore. Not to mention that many lives could be saved in the future and to prevent future generations from being addicted as it is difficult for smokers to kick the habit. The harmful effects of tobacco smoking affects not only the smokers, but the people around them will also be affected by the polluted air. From personal experience, whenever I encounter a smoker, I could sense the strong smell of tobacco even if we were ten meters away. Ten years ago, the prevalent age at which youths would pick up smoking was between 15 and 16. Now, young smokers start experimental puffing from as young as 11 and by 13, many get addicted. Knowing that non-smokers that inhale 2nd hand smoke have more risk, it makes sense to target the ban on those born from the year 2000 onwards.
Samantha 3c,
ReplyDeleteI strongly think that banning people who are born after the year 2000 is a good idea. It prevents a large amount of people from having cancer of all sorts. Teenage smoking starts from their peers around them. In order to fit in, teenagers would want to try new things which they think might make them look better then the others. If this system is successful, teenagers won't be able to find a place where they sell cigaretts. This might stop them from being addicted to smoking. Banning smoking of people born after the year 2000 might actually do good to singapore. After all, Singapore is a fine country. Another one won't hurt.....
Kai Li (3D)
ReplyDeleteI think that banning smoking for those born in or after the year 2000 is a good idea. People will want to have their freedom of choice but smoking is not good for health and it kills. If smoking is banned, lesser people will want to try smoking. This can prevent more smokers to get addicted to smoking and find difficulties kicking the habit as there will be lesser smokers if smoking is banned. Also, prevention is better than cure. Preventing the teenagers from smoking is better than helping them to kick the habit after they get addicted to it. There are also many other ways of reliving stress than smoking. Banning smoking for those born in or after the year 2000 can be a really good thing to Singapore.
I think that banning people who are borned after year 2000 from smoking is a good idea. It is because it can reduce the number of people who are addicted to smoke. It may not be very effective, as they can find a new way to get cigarettes. However, we can prevent our future generations from smoking.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, the government should not only focus on banning teenagers from smoking, they can set up non-smoking workshops and use posters and advertisement to let teens have a better understanding about the effects of the smoke. Therefore, teenagers will aware about it and have learnt not to smoke.
Other than the government, parents and friends also must cooroperate and put in their effort to persuade teenagers to stop smoking since young. As, it is difficult to stop once they have started to smoke. In addition, parents should not stress their children on works and tell them to have self- management, not to do things at the last minute.
In conclusion, i think that both banning smoking and reducing stress in teenagers can solve the problem of smoking.
i think it is necessary to ban smoking as teenagers today smoke a lot.they take up smoking due to peer pressure and the curiosity to try them up.banning smoking would reduce the unwanted problems caused by smoking.
ReplyDelete