The minimum legal age to smoke will be raised from 18 to 21, Senior Minister of State for Health Amy Khor said on Thursday. The government wants to cut, if not eliminate, opportunities for the young to be tempted to take up smoking before they turn 21. It is raising the minimum legal age to smoke, buy and possess tobacco because most smokers start before the age of 21 and a habit is established between the age of 18 and 20, according to the Health Ministry. In Singapore, 19 out of 20 smokers in the National Health Surveillance Survey 2013 had their first puff before age 21. The minimum legal age of 18 for smoking has been in force since 1993.

Source: Bangkok Post March 09, 2017 09:00 UTC