Progress in Tobacco Control in Singapore: Lessons and Challenges in the Implementation of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control

Abstract

Singapore has implemented tobacco control policies since the 1970s, more than three decades before it became party to the World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control — the first evidence-based global health treaty in 2005. The country's stringent policies have resulted in a 13 per cent adult smoking prevalence rate, one of the lowest in the world. This article reviews how a mix of demand- and supply-reduction measures with extensive regulation and stringent enforcement has contributed to Singapore's reputation as the ‘most hostile environment’ for tobacco companies. Its tobacco control policies can offer lessons for more effective tobacco control among its neighbouring countries.

Keywords: Singapore, tobacco control, public health, smoking, policy