As 2024 draws to a close, we reflect on yet another disappointing year where no significant progress was made to protect secondhand smoke victims in their own homes, despite a change in leadership. Throughout the year, several notable cases underscored the dire consequences of secondhand smoke.
Bedok Fire Caused by Lit Cigarette Butt
One such tragic incident occurred on March 24, 2024, when the sole survivor of the Bedok fire succumbed to her injuries. This fire, which claimed the lives of her husband, her three-year-old child, and the flat owner, was ignited by a lit cigarette carelessly left on a cardboard box by the flat owner’s boyfriend. A single cigarette costs four lives, proving the adage “smoking kills” to be tragically accurate. This reckless act could have been prevented if smoking at home had been prohibited. As a result, victims of secondhand smoke continue to live in fear of fire hazards caused by smokers’ careless disposal of cigarette butts. This type of incident is not an isolated case, and more tragedies are likely to occur if smoking at home remains permitted.
Smoking Triggered Woman’s Seizures
Another case on November 5, 2024, involved a woman who fell unconscious after her seizures were allegedly triggered by her neighbors’ smoking, despite a court order. Her husband has faced significant financial strain due to her medical expenses. This case sparked heated online discussions about the inconsiderate neighbors who continued to smoke despite legal orders. Many people called for stricter regulations on smoking in residential areas to prevent such incidents.
It is disheartening that no government agencies have responded adequately to these cases. The government claims to prioritize public health and safety, but why allow smoking at home when only 16.5% of the population are smokers, causing 83.5% to suffer? There has been no discussion of preventive measures, enforcement of court orders, or punishment for smokers who cause severe harm to others’ health and lives.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), long-term exposure to secondhand smoke leads to sub-health conditions, causing both physical and mental health issues. Non-smokers are forced to live in polluted and toxic environments, constantly fearing fire hazards or cancers from secondhand smoke exposure. Children, too, are forced to become passive smokers, even though the legal smoking age in Singapore is above 21 years.
More needs to be done to protect secondhand smoke victims, as the health damages are irreversible. Home air pollution deserves equal attention to noise pollution, affecting not only non-smokers but smokers as well. The Health Promotion Board (HPB) should actively promote its “Quit Smoking Program,” similar to campaigns for reducing salt and sugar intake. Nicotine is more addictive than heroin, cocaine, and marijuana, and secondhand smoke contains twice the toxic chemicals of firsthand smoke, necessitating greater efforts to help smokers quit.
The Ministry of Sustainability and Environment (MSE) is dedicated to maintaining a clean and sustainable environment, yet indoor air quality at home is often neglected. Homes should be safe and non-toxic places for everyone, and MSE should lead the implementation of policies promoting clean air at home.
The Singapore Police Force has been unable to adequately protect victims of secondhand smoke exposure, even when lives are threatened. As the saying goes, “long-term smoking is a slow suicide; passive smoking is a murder in disguise.” The police should protect victims when lives are at risk and prevent smokers from using smoking to bully others, regardless of court orders.
We thank MP Louis Ng Kok Kwang for consistently voicing concerns for secondhand smoke victims in parliament. We hope more MPs, especially doctors, will join in advocating for the innocent, helpless, and voiceless victims.
Looking ahead to 2025, we hope more secondhand smoke victims will bravely voice their grievances and fight for clean and unpolluted air at home. Together, we can make a difference!
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[…] Fire hazards due to careless disposal of cigarette butts such as the case of four lives were lost in Bedok fire in 13th May 2022. […]