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Saloons flout smoking ban in Sharjah, Ajman

AJMAN/SHARJAH — Saloons in Ajman and Sharjah, both for women and men, continue to violate the smoking ban imposed by the General Secretariat of UAE Municipalities.

A large number of customers who see both men and women smoking in peace in the saloons, get the impression that the municipalities have perhaps withdrawn the smoking ban in saloons. But that’s not the case, they soon realise.

When contacted, some saloon owners and managers admitted they refrained from reining in smokers for fear of losing clientele, and as a result, the business. Hessa Al Shamsi who frequents a saloon with a large number of smokers as its customers complains she always returns home coughing from the saloon. “In any case, most of the saloons I have visited recently allow customers as well as their workers to smoke inside the premises,” she complains.

Rupa Muneer, a hair dresser at a saloon that Shamsi frequents, says nearly 70 per cent of her costumers are smokers and she can’t tell them not to smoke, as they might get hurt and decide not to visit the saloon again. “My fellow workers too smoke inside the saloon,” she says, adding, “I have become a passive smoker now.”

Mubasher, manager of a men’s saloon in Al Mussala area says that after he received the circular from Sharjah Municipality banning smoking in saloons, he has put up signboards and stickers inside the saloon to remind customers of the smoking ban. But not many of his costumers are raedy to heed to the signs.

Adds Mubasher: “Sharjah Municipality inspectors visit my saloon regularly. If they find customers smoking I shall be in trouble for sure. But the costumers simply refuse to listen. They just do not care. I don’t know what to do?” Mubasher feels the civic body should intensify its campaign against smoking and fine his customers who turn a blind eye to the municipality’s directive.

Salim Al Mamri, Director of Health Section at the Ajman Municipality says the civic body has intensified its campaign to ban smoking in saloons and beauty centres. Aside from distribution of circular to saloon owners and workers, women inspectors of the Municipality are carrying out surprise inspections of these saloons to ensure they are abiding by the regulations.

Also, Sharjah Municipality has recently issued an administrative order making it mandatory for all ladies and men’s saloons to put up signboards inside their premises, warning of the dangers of smoking, including passive smoking, according to a senior official of the civic body.

The Public Health Department Clinic of Sharjah Municipality is tasked with enforcing the law in the saloons.

Moza Muftah Al Shamsi, Director of the Ajman Social Development Centre says they have organised several campaigns aimed at raising awareness among women about the dangerous effects of smoking on their health.

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