Smoke concern planner for Singapore

Shared space: check the location, then report observations

NEA lists residential corridors, lifts, lobbies, void decks and stairwells among smoking-prohibited places. Check its full location guidance before describing something as an offence.

1. Write down the exact shared location, date and approximate time. Describe what you directly saw rather than guessing a person's identity or home.
2. Use NEA's myENV feedback channel. For a municipal issue where you are unsure which agency handles it, OneService can route a case.
3. Keep any acknowledgement or case reference privately. If it happens again, distinguish a new occurrence from a follow-up to the same incident.

What this route does not establish: a submission is not a finding against someone, a promise of a fine, or a guaranteed response time. Do not confront or follow a person to gather evidence.

Smoke from a home: separate impact from an assumed offence

NEA distinguishes residential homes from prohibited common areas. Smoke entering your room does not by itself establish where smoking took place. Record the impact and uncertainty, rather than presenting the common-corridor rule as a ban inside every home.

1. If safe and comfortable, describe the effect calmly: which room, what time, and what practical change you would like to discuss. You do not need to make an accusation to ask for consideration.
2. If a conversation is uncomfortable or has not helped, read the Community Mediation Centre's suitability and process guidance. CMC facilitates discussion; it does not investigate your allegation. It says evidence is not required before applying.
3. Ask the relevant agency which process fits your situation. Do not promise your neighbour a particular enforcement outcome.

Current-policy note: MCCY's 28 August 2026 announcement describes nationwide expansion of Mediation Directions from 1 September. Its CRU expansion concerns severe noise cases; it is not a general smoke-enforcement promise. Only the responsible authority can determine eligibility and next steps in an individual case.

Conversation starter, not a legal notice: “Smoke has been entering my living room in the evenings. Could we discuss a way to reduce the drift? I would like to find an arrangement that works without an argument.” Adapt this only to things you actually experienced.

Unknown source: a useful report can say “I do not know”

Do not turn a recurring smell into a named allegation. Note where you were when you noticed it, the time and duration, and whether you saw smoke or only smelled it. Record gaps honestly: “source not seen” is more useful than an unsupported unit number.

1. Use the worksheet below for separate occurrences. A short sequence may be easier to explain than a broad claim such as “all day, every day”.
2. If the issue concerns an estate space and the responsible agency is unclear, describe the location through OneService or ask the estate manager for the appropriate channel.
3. If new direct observations change your understanding, correct the earlier account. Keep an observation separate from someone else's explanation.

Do not enter a neighbour's property, photograph into a home, publish accusations or create a public list of suspected smokers. This planner cannot identify a source from a smell or diagnose exposure.

Outdoor space: “outside” is not enough information

Outdoor rules depend on the particular place. NEA's overview includes covered linkways and bus-stop areas among prohibited settings, with specific boundaries and exceptions. Premises may also have additional house rules. Do not estimate a legal boundary from a map pin alone.

1. Identify the feature: for example, a covered walkway, entrance or bus shelter. Note signage and a recognisable location without guessing a distance.
2. Read the applicable official guidance or ask the premises manager about that exact area.
3. If reporting, describe the feature and observed behaviour. If the boundary is unclear, explicitly ask for clarification.

SmokeFree.SG does not certify smoking areas. Proposed lounge locations elsewhere on this site are campaign ideas, not a directory of approved or operating facilities.

2. Turn a vague concern into a usable account

Fictional example: these are writing examples, not resident reports, measured findings or evidence about a real person.

Vague: “Someone upstairs smokes constantly. Make them stop.”

More useful: “On [date], at approximately [time], I noticed a tobacco-like smell in my living room for about [duration]. I did not see the source. This also occurred on [separate dates]. Could you advise which channel handles this situation?”

If you actually saw smoking in a stairwell, replace the uncertainty with that direct observation and the shared-space location. Do not add a person's name, flat number, diagnosis or photograph merely to make the report look more complete. Follow the receiving agency's instructions about what it needs.

Before you send anything

• Separate the event date from the date you wrote your notes.
• Use “approximately” when you did not check the clock.
• Mark second-hand information as such; never present it as something you witnessed.
• Ask for an appropriate next step, not a penalty you cannot determine.
• Send through the official channel, not a public social-media accusation or this campaign's signing form.

3. Private incident worksheet

Print or copy this blank template for your own notes. No completed worksheet is uploaded here. This is an optional organisational aid, not an agency evidence requirement. Avoid collecting identity numbers or unrelated personal details.

Date of occurrence; date noted if different

________________________________________________________________

Approximate time and duration

________________________________________________________________

Where I noticed it (shared-space feature or room)

________________________________________________________________

What I directly saw or smelled

________________________________________________________________

What I do not know / information from others

________________________________________________________________

Previous separate occurrences

________________________________________________________________

Practical impact and question I want to ask

________________________________________________________________

Official channel used; private case reference

________________________________________________________________

Response received and next follow-up

________________________________________________________________

Keep your completed notes somewhere private. Review what is necessary before sharing them. If the situation involves danger, use the appropriate emergency service; this page and campaign inbox are not monitored as emergency channels.

Sources, limits and corrections

The route distinctions above draw on NEA's smoking-prohibition overview and myENV page, OneService's channel guidance, CMC's FAQs and MCCY's 28 August 2026 announcement, each linked where used and checked on 24 October 2026. The worksheet, comparison structure and fictional examples are SmokeFree.SG's editorial aids, not government forms. We make no claim that following them guarantees resolution.

For context, read our HDB second-hand smoke guide. For corrections, email support@smokefree.sg with the page and relevant official source, not private incident records. About our publishing approach.

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