2024年5月8日，新加坡衛生部高級政務次長拉哈尤·瑪贊在國會答覆楊厝港集選區議員葉漢榮和惹蘭勿剎集選區議員文禮佳博士關於如何利用社交媒體提高對電子煙危害認識的補充問題。
以下內容為新加坡眼根據國會英文資料翻譯整理：
葉漢榮先生（楊厝港集選區議員）：謝謝議長先生。我感謝高級政務次長的答覆。我有兩個補充問題：
1、衛生部能否詳細說明是否有計劃讓青年代表或青年領導的組織參與制定和實施在社交媒體上開展的反電子煙運動，以確保所傳達的信息與目標受眾相關和貼近？
2、鑒於社交媒體平台和網絡趨勢的不斷變化和發展，特別是考慮到新的電子煙產品和營銷策略的迅速擴散，衛生部如何調整其戰略以保持有效地觸達青少年？
拉哈尤·瑪贊女士（以下簡稱 "拉哈尤"）：議長先生，這位議員提出了一個非常有效的問題。的確，我們必須了解和掌握這一領域的發展趨勢。這就是為什麼當我們在 2023 年開展無電子煙運動時，我們與全國青年理事會（NYC）和青年組織合作，以了解和理解那些對我們有幫助的細微差別。我們還與社交媒體上有影響力的人和不同的平台合作，確保發布的信息經過精心策劃，並觸達我們的目標群體。
事實上，這將是一項正在進行的工作。我們已經與青年組織建立了持續的關係，並計劃在此基礎上繼續努力。我希望各位議員能夠繼續支持我們的工作，把信息傳播給目標受眾群體。
議長先生：有請文禮佳博士。
文禮佳博士（惹蘭勿剎集選區議員）：謝謝議長先生。我真正關心的是如何監督和管理推廣電子煙產品的「網紅」。我感謝高級政務次長分享了為減少電子煙所做的努力，但我確實相信，「網紅」對我們今天的青少年有著非常大的影響。從問責的角度來看，衛生部在追究這些「網紅」推廣吸食電子煙的責任之前，特別是如果他們被發現規避廣告法規，會採取哪些措施或做哪些考慮？
我的第二個補充問題是關於法律法規的更新。鑒於數字營銷形勢不斷變化，衛生部是否計劃更新現有法律法規，以涵蓋更新形式的數字促銷，例如通過「網紅」和病毒式營銷？
拉哈尤·瑪贊女士（以下簡稱 "拉哈尤"）：議長先生，衛生科學局已經在上游開展工作，通過監控社交媒體、電子商務和信息平台上的非法電子煙銷售，關注這些電子煙的在線銷售和供應空間，並定期開展針對這些平台上電子煙銷售的行動。我們還與 Instagram、Facebook 和 Carousell 等大型平台合作，刪除非法銷售此類產品的帖子。
從目前的情況來看，這是非法的（在社交平台上做電子煙廣告和營銷）。根據《煙草（廣告和銷售管制）法》，電子煙的所有廣告和銷售都是被禁止的。今年3月，衛生部和衛生科學局向 16 個社交媒體和電子商務平台發出了通知函，提醒它們承接與電子煙相關的廣告內容違反了《煙草法》。這些平台有責任進行盡職調查，主動刪除針對新加坡居民的電子煙相關內容。如果發現這些平台的檢測流程不充分，可能會對其採取執法行動。
因此，我們將繼續與通信及新聞部（MCI）和資訊通信媒體發展局（IMDA）等不同機構合作。我們正在採取多管齊下的辦法：在數字平台方面，我們正在向上溯源，加強與平台合作互動，努力監測，同時加強國民教育。所以，我認為這確實需要整個社區的支持，我們將竭盡所能，確保不會讓這一情況在我們的社區紮根，但我們也希望得到社區的支持，傳播這一信息，並盡力提供正確的信息給到年輕人。
以下是英文質詢內容：
USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA TO RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT HARMS OF VAPING（2)
Mr Speaker: Mr Yip Hon Weng.
Mr Yip Hon Weng (Yio Chu Kang): Thank you, Mr Speaker. I thank the Senior Parliamentary Secretary for her response. I have two supplementary questions. Can the Ministry elaborate on any plans to involve youth representatives or youth-led organisations in the development and implementation of anti-vaping campaigns on social media, ensuring that the message is relevant as well as relatable to the target audience?
Secondly, given the constantly changing and evolving nature of social media platforms and online trends, how does the Ministry adapt its strategy to remain effective in reaching out to youths, particularly considering the rapid proliferation of new vaping products as well as marketing tactics?
Ms Rahayu Mahzam: Mr Speaker, the Member raised a very valid point. Indeed, it is important for us to have an understanding and keep aware of the trends that are happening in the space. Which is why when we did the vape-free campaign in 2023, we did work with National Youth Council (NYC) and the youth organisations to understand and appreciate the nuances that would be helpful. We worked with social media influencers and the different platforms to make sure that the information that is given out there is curated and will be reaching the groups that we target.
Indeed, this is going to be a work in progress. We have already ongoing relations with the youth organisations and we have plans to continue building on these efforts. And I hope that we will also continue to get support from Members in disseminating the information to the right target audience.
Mr Speaker: Dr Wan Rizal.
Dr Wan Rizal (Jalan Besar): Thank you, Mr Speaker. My concern is really with regards to the monitoring of and regulating the influencers in promoting vaping products. I thank the Senior Parliamentary Secretary for sharing the efforts to mitigate vaping, but I do believe that the influencers have a very big impact on our youths today. From the accountability perspective, what measures are in place or what considerations would the Ministry take before holding such influencers accountable for promoting vaping products, especially if they are found circumventing advertising regulations?
My second supplementary question is with regards to the legal and regulatory updates. Given the evolving landscape of digital marketing, does the Ministry plan to update existing laws and regulations to cover newer forms of digital promotions, such as those through the influencers and viral challenges?
Ms Rahayu Mahzam: Mr Speaker, HSA is already doing upstream efforts in looking at the online space on sales and supplies of these e-vaporisers by monitoring illicit sales of e-vaporisers through social media, e-commerce and messaging platforms, and actually carries out operations regularly to target the sales of e-vaporisers on these platforms. We also have been engaging the larger platforms like Instagram, Facebook and Carousell to remove postings of illegal sales of such products.
As it stands already, it is illegal. All and sales of e-vaporisers are prohibited under the Tobacco (Control of and Sale) Act. Recently, MOH and HSA issued a letter of notice to 16 social media and e-commerce platforms in March this year to remind them that hosting vaping-related content is in breach of the Tobacco Act. The onus is on these platforms to exercise due diligence and proactively remove vaping-related content that are targeted at Singapore residents. Enforcement actions may be taken against these platforms if they are found to have inadequate processes to detect.
We will continue to work with different agencies like MCI as well as IMDA. So, we are taking a multi-pronged approach on this. On the front, with the digital platforms, we are going upstream, we are trying to monitor, we are engaging with the platforms and we are also educating our people. So, I think this is something that we do need a whole-of-community support on, and we will do what we can to ensure that we will not let this take root in our community, but we do hope to get support from the community as well, to disseminate this message and to also extend the right information to the youths.
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