Why is gum not allowed in Singapore?

Answer 1

The Chewing Gum ban in Singapore was enacted in 1992 and revised in 2004. It bans the import and sale of chewing gum in Singapore. Since 2004, chewing gum of therapeutic value has been allowed into Singapore following the United States-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (USS-FTA). Chewing gum was causing serious maintenance problems in high-rise public housing flats, with vandals disposing of spent gum in mailboxes, inside keyholes and even on elevator buttons. Chewing gum left on floors, stairways and pavements in public areas increased the cost of cleaning and damaged cleaning equipment. Gum stuck on the seats of public buses also constantly vexed passengers. However, Lee thought that a ban would be "too drastic" and did not take action. In 1987, the S$5 billion metro system, the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT), began operations. It was then the largest public project ever implemented in Singapore, and expectations were high. One of the champions of the project, Ong Teng Cheong, who later became the first democratically-elected President, declared," the MRT will usher in a new phase in Singapore's development and bring about a better life for all of us." It was then reported that vandals had begun sticking chewing gum on the door sensors of MRT trains, preventing the door from functioning properly and causing disruption of train services. Such incidents were rare but costly and culprits were difficult to apprehend. In January 1992, Goh Chok Tong, who had just taken over as Prime Minister, decided on a ban. The restriction on the distribution of chewing gum was enacted in Singapore Statute Chapter 57, the Control of Manufacture Act, which also governs the restriction of alcohol and tobacco. After the ban was announced, the import of chewing gum was immediately halted. However, a reasonable transition period was given to allow shops to clear their existing stocks. After that, the sale of chewing gum was completely terminated.

Answer 2

The basis for this action was that the government thought it was an unwarranted expense to clean it from public places.

The official chewing gum ban became active in 1992 with the acceptance of the Control of Manufacture Act (Singapore Statute Chapter 57) that restricted the use, distribution and trade of all kinds of chewing gums.

In 2004, international pressure from United States brought the change in the law that reinstated the legal use of some small amounts of therapeutic dental chewing gums. Their use is heavily regulated and gum has to be purchased directly from a dentist or doctor.

Answer 3

People can't because it is against the law as the Singaporeans think it is unhygenic. And also because they don't want in stuck to the pavements all over the place.