Scenario

With effect from 1 September 2021, table littering at public dining places is an offence under Section 17(1) of the Environmental Public Health Act (EPHA). This means that it is now mandatory for diners at these places to clear their tables of used trays, crockery and litter after their meals. First-time offenders will be given a written warning. Second-time offenders will face a $300 composition fine, and subsequent offenders may face court fines, which can go up to $2,000 for the first conviction.

However, some members of the public have been airing their views on this new law on online forums. You see the following post by Danny Loh on one such online forum and would like to give your response.

I fully agree that we should clear the tables after our meals but I'm absolutely against the idea of making this a law and imposing fines on those who don't comply. It's really a national embarrassment that we have to enforce this law. It shows that we have failed miserably in nurturing socially responsible behaviour and so have to resort to the short cut method of using legislation and monetary punishment. We should not use fines as a magic bullet for everything. There are many other examples of undesirable behaviour we see around us. Does it mean we have to come up with a law for each of them?

Furthermore the fine of $300 for second-time offenders is even higher than some fines for traffic offences (e.g. driving in a dangerous manner while carrying load ($150), exceeding the road speed limit by 21 to 30 km/hr ($200), driving or riding against the flow of traffic ($200).) Is not clearing table litter more dangerous than these traffic offences to warrant a heavier fine?

Assessment Description

For this assessment, you are required to write a response to this online post.

In your response, you should:

• Say if you agree or disagree, and why?
• Includerelevant evidence (i.e. Internet source. Include the link) to support your response.
• Use appropriate word choice, tone, and register when writing your response.
• Write between 100 to 150 words only.