A closer look
Singapore enforces strict customs regulations that make it entirely illegal to import or sell chewing gum anywhere within the borders of the city-state. The law was implemented in the early nineties to maintain the pristine cleanliness of public spaces and prevent vandals from sticking their chewed wads onto subway train doors. It is a utopian dream for anyone who has ever accidentally ruined a brand-new pair of shoes by stepping on a sticky gray blob on a modern city sidewalk. The fact that an entire government looked at a minor public nuisance and responded with the nuclear option of a nationwide ban is the kind of aggressive, hyper-organized urban planning that truly makes you respect their absolute commitment to not having gross things stuck under their public park benches!
