Singapore's National Environment Agency has fined a smoker $15,000 for
throwing cigarette butts out of his apartment window. Officials did not disclose which floor the smoker lived on.
The Agency fined the man $600 per cigarette for
the first 33 offences, and ordered him to do community service for the 34th,
all committed within four days.
The 38-year-old smoker, who was caught on surveillance
camera, will have to clean a public area for five hours wearing a bright vest
bearing the words "Corrective Work Order".
Singapore, famous for its cleanliness, cracks
down hard on even minor crimes like eating and drinking on the street, littering and vandalism, which is punishable
by caning.
In 2013 the National Environment Agency deployed
surveillance cameras at nearly 600 locations. Last year it took 206 enforcement
actions against offenders for high-rise littering.
Singapore is known for
its strict laws governing cleanliness, order, and social behavior.
One of the country's forms
of punishment is caning, which is not only legal but mandatory for vandalism
offenses such as displaying banners, pamphlets, or flags on public property,
and writing on public property. Penalties can include fines of up to $2,000, up
to 8 strokes of the cane, and prison.
Contrary to popular
belief, the act of chewing gum is allowed in Singapore. But the sale, import,
and manufacture of gum is banned. Smuggling gum into the country can rack up
fines of up to $8,000 dollars, along with one year of jail time.
Police can compel both
residents and non-residents to random drug tests. Drugs ingested
even before entering the country can land a person in prison. The death penalty
is mandatory for some narcotics offenses.
Spitting and jaywalking
are also illegal and can lead to arrest.
However, punishment isn’t
the only route Singapore has taken to get to where it is today. In 2013 the
government launched an initiative called “Spot the Conscientious Motorist”. Following
its guidelines, traffic cops reward drivers with gas vouchers for their good
driving habits.
| Edited from Reuters |
