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APPENDIX XLII.
REPORT ON ENQUIRIES OF SMOKERS IN PUBLIC
SMOKING-ROOMS.
SINGAPORK, 18TH JANUARY, 192.4.
SIR,-We have the honour to submit our report on the investigations
into patrons of public smoking-rooms that we were asked by the Opium
Committee to make.
2. On the 24th December, 1923 we visited 2 smoking-rooms, on the 27th
December I, on the 3rd January, 1924 " on the loth January· 2, a total of 6
smoking-rooms.
3. Our visits were all paid between 1I-45 and I P.M. In the case of 5
shops we had no difficulty whatever in getting answers to our exhaustive
enquiries from all the smokers found in them. In the 6th shop there was
a general exodus from the upstairs part while we were making our
enquiries in the downstairs smoking-room.
4. We would observe generally that the shops visited which lie in
different parts of Singapore Town are on the whole reasonably airy and
reasonably clean. In one case limewashing is required, but in the others
we considered that they would compare very favourably from the point of
view of cleanliness with the homes of the smokers. We .have, however, to
admit that the smoking rooms we visited in Kuala Lumpur on the 16th
January, 1924 have more air space and are cleaner than those we visited
in Singapore.
5. We made exhaustive enquiries on the basis of a fixed questionnaire
from 85 smokers in all. The 85 comprised 34 Hokkiens, 9 Tiechius, 24
Cantonese, 2 Hailams, 9 Hinhuas 2 Hokchias, 4 Hokchius and I Hokkien­
Kheh. Two only of them were Straits-born.
6. Civil Condition.-In 74 out of" the 85 cases the civil condition of
the smokers was investigated, with the result that 39 stated they had wives
and families, II were married without children, one was a widower without
children and 23 were bachelors.
7. Age.-The ages of the smokers from whom the enquiries were made
were as follows:-4 under 25, 18 over 25 and under 30,15 over 30 and under
35, 24 over 35 and under 40, 14 over 40 and under 45 .. 3 over 45 and under
50, 4 over 50 and under 55, and 3 over 55·
8. Place of Acquisition of Habit.-Of the 85 smokers 67 or
approximately 80 per cent, stated that they took to the habit in the
Straits.
9. Dose.-Of the 85 smokers 4 stated that they were occasional smokers
and had a pipe from time to time. 6 gave their dosage as half a packet i.e.
II hoons a day. 35 gave one 3-hoon packet a day. 6 gave II packets or
41 hoons per diem. 24 said that they smoked 2 packets or 6 hoons a day.
4 admitted smoking 3 packets i.e. 9 hoons a day; 3, 4 packets or 12 hoons a
day; 2, 5 packets or 15 hoons a day and one took 7 or 8 packets a da¥
or over 2 chees.