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Dubai bans tobacco to all under 21
DUBAI - In a major step towards combating the menace of smoking among teenagers, Dubai has banned the sale of tobacco to anyone who is under the age of 21, up from the earlier age limit of 18.
- PUBLISHED: Mon 27 Oct 2003, 12:07 PM UPDATED: Thu 12 Sept 2024, 3:28 PM
- By:
- Zaigham Ali Mirza
The ban is stated in Article 52 of the Local Order No. 11 of 2003, issued yesterday by Shaikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, UAE Minister of Finance and Industry and Chairman of Dubai Municipality.
According to the order, government departments have been authorised to lay down restrictions or requirements necessary for prohibiting smoking in public areas such as shopping centres and cafes.
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The departments may also prohibit smoking in other places, which it may see as harmful to non-smokers, or is used to influence the behaviour of minors.
The Local order, through Article 50, also prohibits import, manufacture or sale of any type of tobacco in the emirate, if it is known to contain any ingredients harmful to human health or brain.
"We have been writing to particular type of establishments to ask them to ensure that smoking is prohibited at their premises in areas such as children's play area, while restaurants and cafes have been asked to separate smoking and non-smoking sections," Hussain Nasser Ahmed Lootah, Assistant Director-General for Environment and Public Health Affairs at Dubai Municipality, told Khaleej Times yesterday.
Replying to a question on the impact of the Local Order on controlling smoking in the emirate, Mr Lootah said that the restrictions on smoking in public places will be implemented gradually.
"This (smoking) is a behaviour we are trying to control and it cannot be done very suddenly. Take the case of airlines all over the world; almost all of them are now non-smoking flights and people have come to accept it," he said.
On a question on controlling smoking in private environments, Mr Lootah said that it is difficult to monitor the practices and behaviour of smokers in their private environments, such as in cars, and hence outside the purview of the department.
"We need a lot of cooperation, not only from the hotels, restaurants, cafes, and shopping malls, but also from the members of the public," he said.
Mr Lootah also said that the new order will root out the greater hazard of fake and unbranded cigarettes, which are more harmful to human health owing to the presence of some toxic natural and chemical ingredients.
The order deals with a number of public hygiene and community safety issues, including health hazards on various activities, food and drinking water hygiene, health institutions, combating of contagious diseases and public health, building safety, general cleanliness, animal health, animal husbandry and supervision of cemeteries. The order also provided a list of health institutions charged with dealing with the issue.
It also stipulates the contagious diseases which must be reported to the authorities for deportation of the carrier out of the country, health services fees, as well as measures on general cleanliness, public safety and insurance.
The Local Order also said that Dubai Municipality inspectors, assigned on duty by the municipality's Director-General, have the legal power to arrest violators, they also have the power to enter into any premises for inspection, seize items which violate any of the health, safety and environmental rules and regulations.
The administration of the quarters concerned, charged with implementing the order shall seek the assistance of any or all of the organisational units of Dubai Municipality, government departments or public institutions in the emirate, including police, to implement the order whenever it sees the need for it, the order said.