Rising Concerns: E-Cigarette Usage Reported by Singaporean Taxi Drivers

Aug.30.2024
Rising Concerns: E-Cigarette Usage Reported by Singaporean Taxi Drivers
Singapore reports 16 cases of passengers leaving e-cigarettes in taxis, leading to driver complaints and potential fines.

According to a report by 8 World on August 29th, the Singapore Health Sciences Authority received a total of 16 reports in the first half of this year from taxi and private hire car drivers regarding e-cigarettes. In most cases, passengers leave their e-cigarettes in the vehicles.


The interviewed private ride-hailing service operator stated that if a passenger refuses to cooperate and uses an e-cigarette in the vehicle, the driver has the right to refuse service.


The Health Science Bureau stated that once a driver reports it, the related e-cigarettes will be destroyed. According to the Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) Act, possessing, using, or purchasing e-cigarettes can result in a fine of $2000. The authorities also encourage drivers to call the hotline to report e-cigarette users or owners, but most drivers interviewed indicated that they would simply discard the e-cigarettes.


Yang Wuanling, advisor to the National Taxi Drivers Association and the National Private Hire Drivers Association, stated that...


Recently, we have heard increasing feedback related to e-cigarettes, more than last year. We must protect our drivers. With a wide variety of e-cigarette designs, drivers may not recognize them, so we plan to conduct awareness-raising lectures within the association.


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