You Need ID To Buy Gum In Singapore
Interesting Facts in Easy English
Pre-Listening Vocabulary
- ban: to disallow
- disposal: the throwing away of waste
- sensor: a device that receives a signal and responds
- Free Trade Agreement: a formal agreement between countries to trade freely without government interference
- medicinal: containing a substance that provides health benefits
- pharmacy: a place where legal drugs and prescriptions are sold
- smuggling: the act of secretly bringing an illegal substance into an area
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You Need ID to Buy Gum in Singapore
Comprehension Questions
- What reason did the government have for introducing the ban in 1992?
- What change was made to the ban in 2004?
- Why shouldn’t tourists bring gum into Singapore?
Discussion Question: Do you think people should have the freedom to buy and chew gum in public, or should gum-chewing be done behind closed doors?
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You Need ID To Buy Gum In Singapore
In 1992, Singapore banned the sale and import of chewing gum. The ban was due to improper disposal of gum by disrespectful citizens and tourists. The disposal of gum in mailboxes, elevators, or on the seats or doors of buses and trains was expensive to clean up. The Singaporean government introduced the ban when transportation was disrupted a few times due to gum on the door sensors of its modern trains. In 2004, following the Singapore-US Free Trade Agreement, the chewing gum ban was changed slightly, allowing dentists and pharmacists in Singapore to sell medicinal gum. Pharmacies have to be licensed to sell chewing gum, and pharmacists must check the ID of the buyer and record who bought the gum. The act of chewing gum is not illegal in Singapore; however, tourists can be charged with “gum smuggling” if they try to bring large amounts of chewing gum into the country.
- The government introduced the ban in 1992 because people were disposing of gum on the doors of the new trains. This caused transportation delays.
- In 2004 the Singaporean government made changes that allowed dentists and pharmacists to sell medicinal gum.
- Tourists shouldn’t bring gum into Singapore because they could get charged with gum smuggling. Importing gum is illegal in Singapore.
