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Tobacco Industry Monitor

Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance

Singapore

Singapore is a high-income[1] island country with a population of 6.2 million people, situated just south of peninsular Malaysia. Post-colonization, Singapore was originally a part of Malaysia but became a sovereign nation two years later in 1965.

Smoking Prevalence

In Singapore, half a dozen of individuals is reported to smoking-related sicknesses each day. About 15% of adults in Singapore are smokers.[2]

Cigarette Retail price

The retail price of cigarette products in Singapore is relatively high compared to other countries in the region. In 2018, the average cost of a pack of cigarettes was 13.02 SGD a nearly 50% increase since 2004.[3]

Tobacco Leaf Production

According to Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)[4] the information of tobacco leaf production in Singapore in 2018 as presented in the table below;

ElementValue
Area harvested0.00Im ha
Yield18,523.00Fc hg/ha
Production0.00Im tonnes

Fc: Calculated data
Im: FAO data based on imputation methodology

Who Dominates the Market?

As of 2019, Philip Morris International (PMI) held the largest cigarette market share in Singapore (45%) followed by British American Tobacco (BAT) Singapore and Japan Tobacco International (JTI) at 24% and 22% respectively.[5] 

Roadmap to Tobacco Control

Singapore ratified the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control on 14 May 2004 and became a Party to the treaty on 27 February 2005.[6] One of the first attempt for tobacco control measures was introduced in the 1990 Air Navigation Order, with the prohibition of smoking on all Singapore aircraft.[7] 

Tobacco Control Legislation in Singapore[8]

1990Air Navigation Order
1994Broadcasting Act
1994Smoking Prohibition in Certain Places Act Notification
2003Smoking (Control of Advertisements and Sale of Tobacco) (Labelling) Regulations
2006Control of Advertisements and Sale of Tobacco (Labelling) (Amendment) Regulations
2010Control of Advertisements and Sale (Licensing of Importers, Wholesalers and Retailers) Regulations
2011Control of Advertisement and Sale of Tobacco Act Revised
2012Advertisements and Sale (Labelling) Regulations
2014Control of Advertisements and Sale Act Chapter 309, Prohibited Tobacco Products Regulations
2018Control of Advertisement and Sale Act
2019

Control of Advertisements and Sale Act Chapter 309, Appearance, Packaging and Labelling Regulations

Control of Advertisement and Sale (Amendment) Act

  

[1] World Bank Country and Lending Groups. 2020. https://datahelpdesk.worldbank.org/knowledgebase/articles/906519
[2] Gianna Gayle Herrera Amul, Tikki Pang. Progress in tobacco control in Singapore: lessons and challenges in the implementation of the framework convention on tobacco control. Asia and the Pacific Policy Studies 2017; 5(1): 102-121, cited in Lee K. Don’t smoke me out, Cancerfocus: Vol 1 (2018) MCI (P) 127/03/2018, Singapore Cancer Society, https://www.singaporecancersociety.org.sg/images/publications/cancer-focus/Cancer-Focus-2018-vol-1.pdf page 1
[3] Global Data, Retail Prices, Cigarettes in Singapore, 2019, page 2
[4] Tobacco Production Quantity by Country, FAO Data: Food and Agriculture Organization <http://data.un.org/Data.aspx?d=FAO&f=itemCode%3a826>
[5] Ibid, Manufacturer Sales and Market Share 2000-2018, Cigarettes in Singapore, 2019, page 16
[6] https://untobaccocontrol.org/impldb/singapore/
[7] Air Navigation Order 1990, https://seatca.org/dmdocuments/Singapore%20-%20Air%20Navig.%20Order%20-%20national.pdf
[8] https://seatca.org/resource-center-asean-tc-singapore/