HOME > Tobaccos all over the world > Singapore
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| Singapore is located on the southern tip of Malay Peninsula and borders with Malaysia across the Strait of Johore. The capital is Singapore. The country has a land area that is about the size of the 23 wards in Tokyo and has a population of approx. 5.5 million. The languages spoken in Singapore are English, Mandarin, and Malay among others. As the country lies close to the equator, the climate is hot and humid throughout the year. 
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See more photos of Singapore’s scenery
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| When it comes to cigarettes, the country has strict rules in place. To bring cigarettes into Singapore, you have to pay a customs duty of about JPY 40 per cigarette. If you are found to be in violation of this rule, all cigarettes will be confiscated by the government and a fine will be charged also. Likewise, all cigarettes being sold in Singapore are charged with high tax, and as a result a box of MEVIUS costs as much as JPY 1,170. There are about 4,400 cigarette retailers in Singapore, most of which are convenience stores, food stores, grocery stores, restaurants, and other businesses that carry cigarettes in addition to other merchandise. |
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| As there is no domestic cigarette manufacturer, almost cigarettes being marketed in Singapore are imported from other countries. PMI is the top cigarette vendor with roughly a 50% market share, followed by JTI and BAT. Although the size of the cigarette market has been shrinking since the tax hike in 2014, the ratio of smokers has been up slightly at 11.9%(2015). All outdoor, print, and web advertisements are banned. While the cigarettes are priced mostly the same, different stores sell them at slightly different prices. The number of cigarette brand being marketed by PMI, JTI, and BAT are 34, 26, and 33, respectively. Starting in 2016, a new rule is expected to be enforced that will prohibit the retailers from displaying cigarette packages in places that are visible to the customers. |
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See more photos of Singapore’s tobacco shops
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Smoking is allowed from the age of 18, and any minors caught smoking cigarettes as well as any retailers caught selling cigarettes to minors are strictly punished by law. If retailer is found selling cigarettes to a minor, it will receive a fine of about JPY 450,000 and its license will be also revoked. Therefore, the retailers usually remain quite cautions when it comes to selling cigarettes. Basically, smoking is prohibited in all public facilities, hotels, restaurants, café, and other types of air-conditioned buildings. On the streets, you have to keep a distance of at least 5m from any building entrance to be able to smoke a cigarette. While there are a number of ash trays installed in various locations on the streets where you are allowed to smoke, cigarette butt littering is an act punishable with a fine. |
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| On every single cigarette being sold in Singapore, the letters “SDPC” are printed, which stands for Singapore Duty-Paid Cigarette, and if you are smoking a cigarette that does not have these letters printed, it will be subject to confiscation and a fine. As smoking areas at popular destinations, etc. are frequently patrolled by plain-clothes police officers, one has to remain cautious about these particular rules. |
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| Thanks to these rather strict rules, one can hardly find any cigarette butt littered on main roads, but that is not the case in back alleys. As with gasoline, cigarettes can be purchased at less than half the price in neighboring Malaysia, so a large number of individuals are apparently bringing cigarettes from Malaysia into Singapore illegally. These acts are, of course, punishable by confiscation and a fine. |
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See more photos of Singapore’s tobacco shops |
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Marlboro is the top cigarette brand also in Singapore, with Marlboro Gold being the most popular. The next most popular brands are LD, NEXT, and VICEROY, in that order. Most retailers carry MEVIUS and Winston cigarettes that are marketed by JTI, which are apparently popular among Japanese expats living in Singapore. The owner of one local retailer mentioned that his favorite was also MEVIUS due to its high quality. |
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cigarette shops in England and most are non-specialized stores. |
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Regulations here are not strict. |
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Cigarette without "SDPC" print is subject to fine. |
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Tobacco is only sold over-the-counter. |
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Hand-rolled cigarette is substantial |
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The demand for |
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Most of tobacco |
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High |
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Signed to WHO |
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Classical music |
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Smokable at |
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European-like |
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Best sightseeing |
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Many ashtrays |
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RYO is |
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Red packs are |
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No cigarette
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