Singapore made international headlines in 1992 with a new law. It banned the sale & import of chewing gum, although not because of health concerns or sugar content. Nope. There was another major reason why they banned it & it changed how the rest of the world viewed the country.
Why did they do it? What are the punishments for breaking this law? That’s what we’re going to find out.
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock.
Key takeaways
Here’s what you’ll learn:
- When the ban actually began & what it covered
- The problems that created this ban
- What the penalties look like
- How a trade deal changed the law & the international consequences of it
The origins of the ban
The rule took effect in January 1992 & it was quite direct. You’re not allowed to import gum into Singapore, nor can you sell it inside the country, although possession itself isn’t illegal. But shops can’t stock it & travelers can’t bring it in legally.
The big question is why? Why did they “ban” chewing gum? It’s mostly because officials had been frustrated for years that gum kept appearing where it shouldn’t, especially in public housing elevators. These are everywhere in Singapore.
Vandals would press chewed-up gum into the buttons or wedge it into the tracks, causing the doors to jam & the lifts to stall. Eventually, maintenance costs stacked up. Ugly sidewalks are one thing. Broken infrastructure is another.
As such, it’s this wave of vandalism that was the main trigger for the 1992 law.
What the law said about punishment
The law split the rules over gum into two categories, which were importing & selling.
Importing gum could lead to fines of up to S$10,000 (around US$7,700) and/or 2 years in prison for a first offense. For a repeat offense, the fine doubles to S$20,000 (around US$15,600) & 3 years max in prison. You can be fined up to S$2,000 (around US$1,550) for selling gum.
The gap between these two punishments was intentional. For Singaporean officials, the import side of chewing gum is the real crime, rather than selling it, as anyone convicted of doing so was deliberately moving gum into the country. They were flouting the ban.
What changed in 2004
By 2004, the Singaporean government softened the absolute ban on gum. However, this wasn’t because of local demand, but rather due to trade negotiations with the United States. Under the U.S.–Singapore Free Trade Agreement, Singapore agreed to allow therapeutic gums into the country. These include things like nicotine gum or sugar-free gum that’s meant for dental health.
Yet stores can’t sell these gums freely, nor can people easily buy them, as you’re only able to buy them from a licensed pharmacist. They have to keep records that include the date of purchase, the buyer’s full name & national ID number (NRIC), and details about the specific product. Yeah, it’s really that detailed.
If anything, this change in the law is more of a trade compromise than a policy shift.
Reactions at the time
Interestingly, many Singaporean people weren’t that surprised by the ban at the time. The government had already created several campaigns around public cleanliness, so the gum ban was another entry on a list that included fines for littering & rules about smoking.
Outside Singapore, though, it got a lot more attention. Legal scholars like Jothie Rajah argued that many Americans focused on the “gum ban” as an example of how strict life is in Singapore.
The ban also affected the nation’s relationship with Malaysia, one of its bordering nations. Many people took trips across the border into Malaysia right after the ban kicked in, specifically to Johor Bahru, just to pick up chewing gum.
However, this wasn’t exactly smuggling on a massive scale. It was more that people recognized gum wasn’t legal to buy in Singapore, so they had to go to Malaysia to get some. This decision to visit local shops in JB did lead to a slight economic increase. Convenience stores right across the Causeway benefited in particular.
Over time, though, it didn’t strain things. There was no crackdown on traveling to buy gum & Malaysia didn’t make a fuss, as Singaporean border management focused more on bigger issues. These included water rights & train links, as well as trade.
Still known for the gum law
Image Credit: Shutterstock.The law itself has become one of the most repeated “facts” about the country, despite the fact that there isn’t a single ban against chewing gum itself. Only importing & selling gum is a problem. Even that is a little more nuanced, too.
The story hasn’t disappeared, either. Ask someone what they know about Singapore & there’s a chance they’ll mention the gum law.
Sources: Please see here for a complete listing of all sources that were consulted in the preparation of this article.
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