There is a ban on importing chewing gum to Singapore. Since 2004, only gum of therapeutic value has been allowed to enter Singapore under "Import and Export Regulations (Rubber) Regulations". Exceptions are made for tooth or nicotine gums. Chewing gum can be purchased from a doctor, but it should be prescribed.
Video Chewing gum ban in Singapore
Histori
In his memoir, Lee Kuan Yew recounted that in early 1983, when he was Prime Minister, the proposal for the ban was brought to him by the Minister of National Development. Chewing gum causes serious maintenance problems in high-rise public housing estates, with vandals who spend chewing gum in mailboxes, in keyholes and even on lift buttons. The remaining gum on the ground, stairs and sidewalks in public areas increases the cost of cleaning and cleaning equipment is broken. Chewing gum in public bus seats is also considered a problem. However, Lee thinks that the ban will be "too drastic" and does not take action.
In 1987, a local $ 5 billion local railway system, Mass Rapid Transit (MRT), began operations. It was then the largest public project ever undertaken in Singapore, and his expectations were high. One of the project winners, Ong Teng Cheong, who became the first elected President, stated, "... MRT will usher in a new phase in Singapore's development and bring a better life for all of us."
It was later reported that the vandals began to stick gum in the MRT train door sensors, preventing the doors from functioning properly and causing disruption to train the service. Such incidents are rare but expensive and the culprit is hard to catch. In January 1992, Goh Chok Tong, who had just taken over as Prime Minister, decided to ban. Restrictions on the distribution of chewing gum are enacted in the Singapore Statute Chapter 57, Control of Laws Creation , which also regulates the limitation of alcohol and certain tobacco products.
The direct result of the ban
After the ban was announced, the import of gum was immediately stopped. After a period of transition that allows shops to clean up existing stocks, the sale of gum is strictly prohibited.
When first introduced, the ban caused much controversy and some open defiance. Some people have trouble traveling to neighboring countries, Johor Bahru, Malaysia, to buy chewing gum. Offenders are publicly "named and humiliated" by the government, to act as a deterrent to other candidate smugglers. There is no black market for chewing gum in Singapore that has ever appeared, though some Singaporeans can sometimes still smuggle gum from Johor Bahru for self-consumption. The ban has been partially lifted, as some types of chewing gum are allowed, such as chewing gum for dental health. However, the government refused to completely lift the ban on the risk of latex rubber.
International attention
In the mid-1990s, Singapore law began to receive international press coverage. For example, the US media pays great attention to the case of Michael P. Fay, an American teenager who was sentenced in 1994 for caning in Singapore for vandalism (for using spray paint instead of chewing gum). They also attracted the attention of several other Singapore laws, including the rule of "watering public toilets". Confusion reporting on these issues has led to worldwide spread of the myth that the use or importation of chewing gum itself can be punished by caning. In fact, this has never been a ban on whips, and the only punishment given under Chapter 57 is fines and imprisonment.
When a BBC reporter says that such cruel laws will paralyze people's creativity, Lee Kuan Yew replied, "If you can not think because you can not chew, try bananas."
Revision of the Act
In 1999, US President Bill Clinton and Singapore's Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong agreed to start talks between the two countries for a bilateral free trade agreement (USS-FTA). The talks then continued under the new administration of President George W. Bush. The details of closed negotiations are unknown, but it became clear that in the final stages of negotiations in early 2003, there were still two unresolved issues: the War in Iraq and the gum.
The Wm is based in Chicago. Wrigley Jr. The Company requested the help of a Washington, DC, lobbyist and Illinois Congressman Phil Crane, then chair of the United States House of Commerce, Way and Subcommittee, to get chewing gum on the United States-Singapore Free Trade agenda. Approval. This has caused a dilemma for the Singapore Government. It recognizes certain health benefits of gums, such as sugar-free gum that contains lactate calcium to strengthen tooth enamel. The sale of new drug sap is allowed, provided it is sold by the dentist or pharmacist, who should record the names of the buyers.
Soon, the USS-FTA was signed and the ban was revised. "They're tough," Crane said of the conversation. Some people are surprised that Wrigley has fought hard in this battle, given the small size of the market chewing Singapore. But the company says it's worth it. "There are many examples in our history about things that may not make sense in short-term finances but are the right thing to do in a philosophical or long-term sense," says Christopher Perille, director of corporate communications at Wrigley.
Other substance
- Drink in public
- Paan
- Smoking ban
- Alcoholic drinks
Maps Chewing gum ban in Singapore
References
- Ho Khai Leong (2003) Joint Responsibility, Unspoiled Strength: The Politics of Policy Making in Singapore , ISBNÃ, 981-210-218-3.
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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