A letter from the National Environment Agency (NEA) has been circulating social media since yesterday, the contains of which involve a smoking offence. Apparently, the authority asked a Bedok resident to assist in investigations after a thermal camera captured multiple instances of people smoking outside their unit at Bedok Reservoir Road.
Dated June 6, the letter said it had a video of individuals “smoking at the corridor” and “entering/exiting” from the unit on 12 different occasions, complete with the exact date and time of the offence. The incidents occurred between April 11 and 14 this year, from about 4pm to 11:20pm.
“Our investigations revealed that you are the lessee of the said premises,” the NEA said. “You are hereby required to take reasonable steps to provide relevant information of the offence such as the identity and address of the person who was smoking at or about the time of the alleged offence(s).”
According to the letter, the resident had 14 days to give up the information or be charged under the Smoking (Prohibition in Certain Places) Act. If convicted, they could be liable to a maximum fine of S$2,000 for a first-time offence.
NEA told CNA that it had gotten 13 smoking-related complaints at the block since February this year. In response, the authority gave out educational pamphlets to the residents and conducted surveillance rounds in the area.
Since January, the NEA has coordinated about 70 thermal camera deployments in residential neighborhoods and areas with constant feedback on smoking issues.
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