Christopher is back in Singapore for a few days. It's a beautiful place and he has had a another good experince there. It's just a mere 8,790 miles for home.
In 1992, the government of Singapore banned chewing gum. This move was a reaction to littering - used gum left on sidewalks and under park benches, for example - as well as vandalism. Gum chewers occasionally stuck their gum on elevator buttons or on the sensors of commuter train doors, causing messes and malfunctions.
Singapore has a uniquely strict government, as well as a reputation for being clean and green (eco-friendly). Therefore, the government simply banned all chewing gum. The ban was loosened slightly in 2004 when Singapore negotiated a free-trade agreement with the United States, allowing for tightly-controlled imports of nicotine gum to help smokers quit. However, the prohibition on ordinary chewing gum was reaffirmed in 2010.
Those caught chewing gum receive a modest fine, equivalent to a littering fine. Anyone caught smuggling gum into Singapore can be sentenced to up to a year in jail and a $5,500 US fine. Contrary to rumor, nobody has been caned in Singapore for chewing or selling gum.
