煙草在線據今日在線報道編譯　　新加坡在進一步努力降低吸煙率，夢想“有一天讓煙草從新加坡消失”。

　　3月7日，新加坡衛生部長Amy Khor在國會供應委員會的辯論會上發表講話時說，盡管從開展教育活動到征稅和立法的多方工作已經使新加坡的吸煙率下降到了15%——“這是世界上最佳的成績之一”——但新加坡不會放松控煙措施。

　　她說：“為了使我們進入到煙草控制的下一階段，在組織管理嚴密的法律措施之外，我們將把核心放在力量更強大的措施上，這些措施將會使煙草使用非正?；?#xff0c;并將無煙生活確定為一種社會標準。我們還會在禁止在除了指定吸煙區外的所有公共場所吸煙的長期目標方面與全國教育協會合作?！?/p>

　　在回應議會部長Janil Puthucheary詢問，衛生部是否考慮成為一個“無煙國家”的目標時，Khor女士說：“我們與Janil博士的目標一樣，就是使煙草有一天從新加坡消失，但這一天什么時候到來，我們還不確定?！?/p>

　　為此，從明年三月開始，衛生部將禁止煙草產品的包裝和標簽上使用誤導性詞語，降低卷煙焦油和尼古丁含量限額，并用新的一套圖片健康警語代替原來的健康警語，以確保持續的影響力。

　　近日，政府發起了一項推動無煙環境的藍絲帶行動，與此同時，健康促進委員會與青年網絡合作，開展“提高生活質量，不要點燃香煙”的活動，Khor女士說，已經取得了一些成功，在過去一個月里，每天至少吸一支煙的13至16歲青少年比例從2000年的11%下降到了2009年的6%。

Singapore, a tobacco-free nation? Maybe one day

Today Online
Mar 7, 2012

　　SINGAPORE - The Republic is rolling out further efforts to lower the smoking rate here, with a vision of "eliminating tobacco from Singapore one day".

　　Speaking today in Parliament at the Committee of Supply debates, Minister of State for Health Amy Khor said that while efforts ranging from education to taxes and legislation had brought smoking rates here down to 15 per cent - "one of the best in the world" - Singapore could not afford to let its guard down.

　　"To bring us to the next stage in tobacco control, beyond top-down legislative measures, we will focus on stronger, ground-up efforts that together, will de-normalise tobacco use and establish smoke-free living as the social norm," she said. "We will also work with NEA on the long-term goal of banning smoking in all public places other than designated smoking areas."

　　Responding to a query from Minister of Parliament Janil Puthucheary, in which he asked if the Ministry of Health would consider articulating a vision of being a "tobacco-free nation", Ms Khor said: "We share Dr Janil's vision of eliminating tobacco from Singapore one day, but when that day will come, we cannot be sure."

　　To that end, from March next year, the Health Ministry will ban misleading terms on tobacco product packaging and labelling, and lower cigarette tar and nicotine limits. Graphic Health Warnings will be replaced with a new set to ensure continued impact.

　　A Blue Ribbon movement was launched last week to promote smoke-free environments, while the Health Promotion Board is working with youth networks on a "Live it Up Without Lighting Up" movement. Some success has been seen, Ms Khor said, with the rates of youths aged 13 to 16 years old smoking on at least one day in the past month decreasing from 11 per cent in 2000 to 6 per cent in 2009.