SINGAPORE: A number of smokers were seen gathered outside the Woodlands MRT station, sitting in rows to smoke away and carelessly throwing their cigarette butts everywhere, raising public concerns regarding hygiene and safety hazards.
As reported by Shin Min Daily News, a concerned citizen posted on social media about the situation, as it has been happening for a long time now. Smokers who choose to throw their used cigarettes on the ground make the place dirty and messy, causing an eyesore and inconvenience to other members of the public.
When a reporter visited the area, it was found that the lawn outside the MRT station was not a designated smoking area, but it was open air, and there were over 30 people sitting in a row to smoke. Furthermore, there were over 100 cigarette butts on the ground.
In an interview, a female employee at a nearby shop claimed that the smoking situation in the area is alarming, stating that a large number of smokers go there every day, from morning to nighttime. She also shared that since her shop faces the lawn, she can see the smokers smoking all day, especially during weekends.
It was shared that the smokers vary from people who take the subway to shopping mall employees. On weekends, some migrant workers who live nearby also come to the area to smoke and eat meals.
“It is generally believed that some people are too convenient and just throw their cigarette butts away carelessly after smoking, making the scene even dirtier,” the employee claimed.
It was also discovered that there were four trash cans located nearby, and the ashtrays were overflowing with cigarette butts. The employee remarked that due to the hot weather, the carelessly discarded cigarette butts may cause a fire and said: “The lawn is a bit dry, and if a cigarette butt isn't completely extinguished and catches fire, the consequences would be unimaginable.”
In other news, a pork stall faced backlash when it was accused of thawing raw pork on the ground, raising food safety concerns among the public.
Case details revealed that a member of the public saw two large pieces of meat lying on the ground inside the pork stall while passing by a food market in Bedok North.
Read more about the news story here.