• The Mandarin term “烟客” is said to be a paraphrase of the English word “smoker”. 

• In Singapore, smoking prohibition was first introduced in 1970 to protect non-smokers from breathing in second-hand smoke. 

• According to the Smoking (Prohibition In Certain Places) Act, smoking is prohibited in certain public places. These include buildings, food and retail establishments, transport hubs, public transport facilities, and sports and recreational facilities.  

• Under Singapore law, youths under the age of 18 are not permitted to smoke. Offenders may be fined a maximum of $300.  

• In 2018, the number of places where smoking is prohibited was expanded to include cinemas, leisure entertainment centres, early childhood development centres, sports areas, factories, and government schools. This went into effect on 1 January 2019.

The 83-year-old granny has been working hard to make a living by selling newspapers at Bugis. However, she complained that she had to endure the noxious fumes caused by the second-hand smoke from hundreds of smokers for nine hours every day. She has been suffering in silence, as the smokers told her that they were not breaking any laws when she asked them to stop smoking there. 

烟民 (Mainland China)

• The term “烟客” is used in Mainland China to refer to “immortals, Taoist priests or hermits”, which differs from its usage in Singapore.