Public Health Measures and Penalties against Secondhand Smoke Coming from Neighbouring Units and Residential Balconies

13 Mr Yip Hon Weng asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) what is the rationale for treating secondhand smoke, which is a Group 1 carcinogen, as a neighbourly dispute rather than a public health threat; and (b) whether the Ministry will introduce penalties for smokers whose emissions drift into neighbouring units and prohibit smoking on residential balconies to protect residents' health.

Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: My Ministry takes the issue of secondhand tobacco smoke seriously and has progressively prohibited smoking at more than 49,000 public places. This includes most common areas of residential buildings, such as void decks, common corridors and stairwells. Regulating smoking in residential homes, which are private spaces, requires further careful consideration as such measures may be intrusive. We have therefore adopted a community-based approach by working with other Government agencies, Town Councils and grassroots leaders to encourage social responsibility and urge smokers to be considerate of their neighbours when smoking in homes. We will continue to monitor international best practices, take in public feedback and review our policies periodically.