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A Singaporean developer of smartphone applications has been told by the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) to remove all postings related to cigarettes in its LobangClub app, which lets users find the cheapest deals based on community feedback.

It is the first case involving a mobile phone application, and HSA said that anybody involved in putting up listings of tobacco products could be breaking the law.

The app was introduced a month ago and is available for iPhones. It allows the user to use the phone's camera as a barcode scanner, and add details such as pricing and location for others to view.

Last Tuesday, its developer, Shen Guyi, 32, received a call from an HSA officer telling him that advertising tobacco products here was illegal, and to remove all such listings.

He said: "My immediate reaction was that we weren't doing any advertising. All we did was to provide a platform for users to share information."

However, he complied and took down about 100 listings for about 10 brands of cigarettes.

Shen also sent out an e-mail that night, asking users not to add more tobacco products.

Prices of cigarettes vary, depending on where they are sold. For instance, packs bought in 24-hour convenience stores can be up to 50 cents more expensive than those sold in mom-and-pop shops.

LobangClub has 35,000 users who have put up 50,000 listings of a variety of products including electronics, food and household items.

HSA told The Straits Times that it received a tip-off from a member of the public on Oct 24 and acted on it.

The HSA spokesman said: "Following our investigation, the administrator of iPhone app LobangClub was instructed to remove the cigarette advertisements from the LobangClub portal, and also cautioned to be mindful about the prohibition of tobacco-related advertisements within the Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) Act."

Anti-smoking laws were tightened in July last year. Previously, although advertising tobacco has been banned here since 1971, an exemption allowed tobacco firms to sponsor arts and cultural events.

This exemption has since been revoked. Other changes include the banning of smokeless forms of tobacco such as oral and nasal snuff, as well as packet labels touting the products to be 'light' and 'mild'.

Under the law, any person publishing or taking part in putting out such advertisements is liable, on conviction, to a maximum fine of $10,000 or six months' imprisonment or both.

The spokesman added that the law extended to all media platforms, including mobile phone applications.

"We recognise that cyberspace is a borderless arena and it will require the joint efforts of regulatory authorities, feedback from members of public and responsible usage from consumers in cultivating a smoke-free environment."

Lawyer Bryan Tan, a director of Keystone Law Corp, said: "There are two things that the Government frowns upon in advertisements. One is tobacco, and the other is gambling. Content hosts should always be mindful of this, and be able to take down content if necessary."

LobangClub user Jason Tan said the agency did the right thing.

"Personally, I'm not a smoker and I don't encourage the habit. Even if the action has resulted in just one less person having second thoughts about smoking, then it would have done its job," said the 25-year-old advertising executive.

Reprinted courtesy of Straits Times Indonesia. To subscribe to Straits Times Indonesia and/or the Jakarta Globe call 021 2553 5055.