The Tobacco and Alcohol Control Office (TACO) of the Department of Health (DH) stepped up enforcement actions against illegal smoking in statutory no-smoking areas of public transportation facilities and bus interchanges on June 19 and 20 and today (June 25). During the operations, officers conducted 116 inspections and issued fixed penalty notices to 80 persons caught smoking illegally, including drivers of public transport carriers. Officers also publicised the relevant smoking ban regulations to members of the public.
There are currently 260 public transportation facilities and 14 bus interchanges designated as no-smoking areas. The no-smoking areas are clearly marked with visible no-smoking signage. The boundaries of the no-smoking areas are also delineated in a clear manner based on the actual physical environment to remind the public to comply with the smoking prohibition. The plans depicting the boundaries of the no-smoking areas have been uploaded to the TACO website for public reference.
From January 2021 to April 2024, TACO has conducted over 16 570 inspections at public transportation facilities and bus interchanges regarding smoking offences, and issued more than 6 700 fixed penalty notices/summons.
"To protect public health, it is the established policy of the Government to discourage smoking, contain the proliferation of tobacco use and protect the public from second-hand smoke. Strengthening inspections and enforcement in public transportation facilities aims to further protect the public from the harms of second-hand smoke," a spokesman for the DH said.
Any person who does a smoking act in no-smoking areas will be liable to a fixed penalty of $1,500. TACO inspectors will prosecute smoking offenders without prior warning.
"We appeal to smokers to quit smoking as early as possible for their own health and that of others. They are encouraged to call the DH's Integrated Smoking Cessation Hotline at 1833 183. The hotline is operated by registered nurses, providing professional counselling services on smoking cessation," the spokesman said.
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