Dispute Resolution for Complaints on Second-hand Smoke from Neighbours' Own Homes

16 Mr Liang Eng Hwa asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) for the number of cases that NEA received regarding complaints about second-hand smoke from neighbours smoking in their own homes in 2025; (b) how many of these cases were amicably resolved; and (c) what possible new measures is NEA considering to resolve such disputes.

The Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment (Dr Janil Puthucheary) (for the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment): Mr Speaker, in 2025, the National Environment Agency (NEA) received about 600 cases of feedback related to second-hand tobacco smoke from neighbouring homes. About 30% of feedback cases received in 2025 were from repeat feedback providers. When NEA receives such feedback, it works with other Government agencies or the relevant Town Council to issue advisories to surrounding residential units to encourage smokers to be considerate towards their neighbours.

NEA does not track whether cases are amicably resolved. However, most feedback cases did not recur after advisories were issued.

If the issue remains unresolved, the relevant agency or Town Council may engage residents in person. Affected residents are also encouraged to resolve the matter through mediation, such as by approaching the Community Mediation Centre.

Mr Speaker: Mr Liang.

Mr Liang Eng Hwa (Bukit Panjang): Thank you, Mr Speaker. Sir, this has been a long-standing concern raised by Members in many Sittings, even in previous terms. And the Government's holding position has always been that the Government has no business intruding or regulating the behaviour within the private homes. I hope after all these years of raising these concerns, the Government is now ready to move on that position, be it just incremental steps.

So, my first question to the Senior Minister of State is whether we would be prepared to classify second-hand smoking coming from windows and balconies of homes affecting neighbours as public nuisance and therefore, it will come under the powers, the purview of the Environmental Public Health Act.

As in the previous Parliamentary Question, seniors, children or family members who are allergic to second-hand smoke, to them, it poses serious health hazard and significantly impact their well-being. So, that is my first question.

My second question is, in terms of public messaging, can the Government step up and to more clearly say that smoking at windows and balconies are undesirable neighbourliness behaviours? Because when I look at the Housing and Development Board (HDB) handbook about being good neighbours, this is not an item that is mentioned there. Other things are there, littering and all these things, but second-hand smoke from balconies and windows are not there. Would the Ministry want to push on that? Because we do not get a lot of publicity on that, except for when Parliamentary Questions are asked.

Dr Janil Puthucheary: Sir, I thank Mr Liang for his questions. He first asked about the classification of second-hand smoke as a public nuisance and so, an environmental issue. I think the specific mechanism of how we might further reduce the instance of smoking and second-hand smoking, we can debate and we can discuss, and certainly, we can continue to explore.

There are challenges about enforcing any of these mechanisms within one's home. I think that is the key issue that we are wrestling with in the previous Parliamentary Question as well as this one. How far do we want to intrude into the privacy of one's own home and the behaviours that one can engage with there? That, I think, is the key issue that we are facing. Because smoking has increasingly been prohibited. I think we now have something like 49,000 spaces across the island where smoking is prohibited. And Members will be familiar with the smoking prohibitions in covered areas within the HDB estates.

It is precisely because we have prohibited it in so many of these areas that now, we are having to deal with the issues of what someone does in their own home when that smoke then pervades the neighbours' home.

That is the second point. Can we step up messaging? Yes, certainly, we can. We can certainly explore this. I would personally take the view that smoking is not just an undesirable behaviour at your balcony because it is going into your neighbours' home. Smoking should stop. It is bad for you, full stop. It is bad for one's health. Certainly, we can work with the Health Promotion Board on the public health messages as well as HDB on responsible behaviours as neighbours. I thank Mr Liang for his suggestions.