Speech by Mr Amrin Amin, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Health, at the Singapore Cancer Society Inter-School Competition 2019 Finals, 26 January 2019

Mr Albert Ching, Chief Executive Officer, Singapore Cancer Society

Friends from the Singapore Cancer Society

Ladies and gentlemen

1.             A very good afternoon. I am delighted to join all of you here today for the Singapore Cancer Society (SCS) Inter-school Competition 2019 Finals. I know that many of you have worked hard to prepare for today and are excited to see your efforts pay off.

Smoking’s association to cancer

2.             Cancer is the number one killer in Singapore[1] ↗ (opens in new tab). Because it is so common, almost all of us know at least one person who has been diagnosed with cancer before. In fact, at least 1 in 4 to 5 Singaporeans is likely to be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lifetime[2] ↗ (opens in new tab). Furthermore, given that the risk of developing cancer increases with age, our ageing population means that more Singaporeans will be diagnosed with cancer in the future. It is thus appropriate that the focus of today’s competition is on conceptualising and planning a campaign to highlight the association between smoking and cancer.

3.             Many cancers are caused by factors that we can change, otherwise known as ‘lifestyle risk factors’. For example, individuals are at an increased risk of cancer if they smoke, keep a poor diet, are obese, or do not have sufficient physical activity. Therefore, it is important that all of us strive to lead healthy lifestyles, even from young.

4.             Lung cancer remains one of the top three cancers in Singapore affecting both men and women[3] ↗ (opens in new tab). The top risk factor for lung cancer is the use of tobacco products. Cigarettes alone contain over 7,000 toxic chemicals and in these chemicals, 70 of them are cancer causing agents which damage tissues in the body[4] ↗ (opens in new tab). In addition, cigarette use not only affects the health of the smoker, but also of those around him or her. This may be in the form of smoke that is exhaled by the person smoking, otherwise known as second hand smoke, or even contamination of the surrounding environment even after a cigarette has been extinguished, otherwise known as third hand smoke. Globally, tobacco kills nearly 6 million people each year, and of these 600,000 are non-smokers who die from the effects of second-hand smoke.

5.             Furthermore, tobacco products contain nicotine, which is addictive to the user. This addiction often begins at an early age. Through our national health surveys, it was found that 19 out of 20 (or 95%) younger smokers aged 18-39 years had their first puff before the age of 21 years, and more than 8 in 10 (or 80%) of younger smokers aged 18-39 years in Singapore became regular smokers before the age of 21[5] ↗ (opens in new tab).

What youths can do

6.             What then can we do to stop these worrying trends? As young people, you are best placed to protect your health and help those around you. Instead of smoking, we can choose to take up healthier alternative activities such as sports and games. Many of these activities can be affordable or even free, and bring about health benefits.

7.             Furthermore, no-smoking habits tend to spread to friends as they have the biggest influence on each other. When youth see their peers taking part in healthy and fun activities that does not involve smoking, they are reminded that it is possible to enjoy life without picking up smoking.

8.             On top of what youth can do among themselves, the government has also implemented a number of measures to prevent or reduce the ease of taking up smoking. One of these is the raising of the minimum legal age (MLA) for the purchase, use, possession, sale and supply of tobacco products progressively to 21 years by 2021. Just this month, the MLA was raised from 18 to 19 years old. Retailers would eventually not be able to sell tobacco to youths between their 18^th and 21^st birthdays. Nevertheless, it is more important that we recognise that all of us have a role to play in protecting our own health, including avoiding and quitting smoking.

Singapore Cancer Society’s work to tackle issue of smoking

9.             Today’s SCS Inter-school Competition gives full-time students from various post-secondary institutions the chance to plan and execute their own smoke-free campaigns. About 110 students in 40 teams from five institutions namely Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Nanyang Polytechnic, Republic Polytechnic, Institute of Technical Education College West and the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts are here today. The top three teams will be invited to execute their project in real life, with support from SCS. This is a really exciting opportunity to make a difference in our community!

10.          I am glad to see that SCS has been holding these events to educate youth at an early age with the hope that this will reduce the chances of young people lighting up in future. Beyond today’s competition, SCS is also working closely with tertiary institutions, secondary schools, pre-schools and uniformed groups, such as Girls Guides Singapore, to educate and instil knowledge about the harmful effects of smoking and to spread the message to their families and friends. This initiative, called the SCS Smoke-Free Ambassador Programme, aims to nurture young leaders to influence their peers to stay smoke-free

Conclusion

11.          I would like to encourage all of you to continue to do your part to spread the message and encourage your friends and families to live healthy, smoke-free lives beyond this competition. You have the power to be a positive influence for those around you.  All the best to everyone who participated in the competition, and I hope that it has been a good experience and that you have learnt valuable lessons and skills, made friends along the way, and had lots of fun.

Thank you.