Since 1992, Singapore has banned the manufacturing, sale, and importation of chewing gum into the country. A fine of $5,500 and a one year term imprisonment is given for the illegal transportation of chewing gum.

When Singapore became independent in 1965 it was a tiny country with few resources, so the Prime Minister at that time, Lee Kuan Yew, designed a plan to improve Singapore's economic situation. This hinged on making the city state a "first-world oasis in a third-world region". Singapore also passed laws against litter, graffiti, jaywalking, spitting, expelling mucus and urinating anywhere but in a toilet. (If it's a public toilet, you are legally required to flush it.) Singapore soon stood out as a nation known for its cleanliness.

Since 2004, as a result of the US-Singapore Free Trade Agreement, pharmacists and dentists have also been allowed to sell "therapeutic" gum, to customers with a medical prescription. This includes standard sugar-free gum to help keep teeth clean, and nicotine gum to assist smokers trying to stop smoking.

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