Letter: Smoking At Bedok Reservoir Should Be Banned, Even In Permitted Areas Like HomeTeamNS Building

In late 2022, HomeTeamNS moved into Bedok Reservoir.

They have put up a smoking point near the running track and in front of a school. Bedok Reservoir is one of the water bodies in which smoking is prohibited by the National Environment Agency (NEA).

Having checked with NEA, it was shared that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had acquired the land and after consultation with NEA, they were allowed to have a smoking point due to the needs of their members and tenants.

After MHA and NParks received complaints about the smokers, the agreement was to rebalance the needs and continue to have the smoking point but in a redesignated area.

I am of the view that smoking within a reservoir should still be prohibited regardless of whether is it on a premise of another tenant.

Why should this change when a premise is now built and an ill habit is now being encouraged again?  Before HomeTeamNS was set up, runners enjoyed a smoke-free healthy running lifestyle along the reservoir. Adding on to that, they have erected the smoking point in front of the students and might create the wrong model for them to see and learn from.

As my view may not represent the majority opinion, I hope to understand if the majority of the people would be keen to have smoking reinstated in the park or if they prefer not to, smoking should be eliminated entirely at reservoirs.

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Featured image adapted from HomeTeamNS.