|
Dubai: Young people under the age of 20 will no longer be able to buy cigarettes or be allowed into designated smoking areas in Dubai.
As part of a new Tobacco Free Youth campaign launched on Saturday to combat smoking in Dubai, the municipality has initiated the move to reduce the number of smokers and smoking-related diseases.
The move is part of the Strategic Plan for the Emirate of Dubai 2007-2015 and aims to preserve public health and improve quality of life. The initiative forms part of a set of measures to be taken by the municipality to mark World No Tobacco Day on Saturday.
Salem Mesmar, Assistant Director General of Dubai Municipality for Health, Safety and Environment Control Section, urged the public to cooperate with the municipality to make this initiative successful and to contribute towards bringing up a tobacco-free generation.
A no smoking policy in Sharjah's restaurants and shopping malls has also come into effect from Sunday with any violators facing a Dh1,000 fine if caught smoking in public.
The UK and Germany recently raised the minimum age to purchase cigarettes from 16 to 18. In the US and Canada the purchase age varies between 18 and 19 in different states.
Earlier this year the World Health Organisation (WHO) warned that tobacco use could kill more than one billion people this century unless governments and civil society act. "Unchecked, tobacco-related deaths will increase to more than eight million a year by 2030," it said.
Population
Nearly two-thirds of the world's smokers live in 10 countries: China (accounting for nearly 30 per cent), India (10 per cent), Indonesia, Russia, the United States, Japan, Bangladesh, Germany and Turkey.
How do you think this ban can be implemented effectively? What penalties should be imposed on vendors who are caught selling cigarettes to underage individuals? What other steps can be taken to discourage smoking? Tell us at letter2editor@gulfnews.com or fill in the form below to send your comments.
Your comments
I don't think asking for ID will work as underage will tell their over age friends to buy for them. Small Groceries are selling cigarettes to young school boys as it is their business. I wish I could complain about the groceries selling cigarettes to these kids.
Gracy
Dubai,UAE
Posted: June 01, 2008, 14:35
I am so glad to see this action taken by Dubai. It would be great idea to increase prices and check ID before selling any tobacco and stop giving permission to small grocery stores to sell it.
Shazia
Dubai,UAE
Posted: June 01, 2008, 14:27
Smoking stands for so much more than a health issue. It is a last sign for our freedom of choice. It should be someone's choice whether to smoke or not, and places should cater to this. For these preventative measures to be effective, these similar fines should be introduced on heavily polluting cars, no point in not smoking if you are going to breathe car fumes on Sheikh Zayed.
Ernst
Dubai,UAE
Posted: June 01, 2008, 13:48
The groups below 20 years belong to school or college going students mainly. So positive reinforcement should be tried. That can be done by arranging talks by successful quitters, debates and elocution competition and endorsement by celebrities. Youth should be won over with love rather than force as that will have a lasting effect.
Latha
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: June 01, 2008, 13:48
Great move! The next one should be to limit the sale of tobacco to certain shops with licenses to do so, same as in some European countries. This will also help control the illegal sale of fake cigarettes and the sale of tobacco to under age teens.
hadi
dubai,uae
Posted: June 01, 2008, 13:28
I would like to see some restrictions on the local pipe in this country shops that sell that tobacoo "Dokhaa" as the tar content is very high...
Salem
dubai,UAE
Posted: June 01, 2008, 12:49
Tobacco should be treated like liquor where you have a special place only where you can buy them and at the same time customer should have a license to smoke. Furthermore any smoker should be banned from getting a health insurance because its their choice to abuse themselves.
Anonymous
Manila,Philippines
Posted: June 01, 2008, 12:45
In a small shop I saw them selling cigarettes to teens, when I told the shop that is not allowed they told me the teens forces them to sell, if not they would beat up the staff and damage the shop. The staff was afraid to call the police as they said it would only make things worse as the teens would just get a warning. I think the teens should be send to a camp to learn to quit smoking and also to obey the law.
Maryam
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: June 01, 2008, 11:54
The best way to minimise or discourage smoking is a price increase. If the price of cigarettes here goes from Dh5 to Dh50 overnight, believe me, no one will smoke a single cigarette anymore.
Sutadebastos
Dubai,UAE
Posted: June 01, 2008, 09:19
The ban is definitely very encouraging, but to an extent I feel it will not comply with the rules of not selling cigarettes to an underage individual. Frankly speaking, there are so many small grocery shops spread all over the country, they do not usually follow this kind of rule and with the clear intention of doing their business they will continue to sell no matter, even if the individual is underage. I sincerely believe the government should make an awareness campaign for students in schools, highlighting all negative aspects and its consequences and should also be spread through newsletters, advertisements and leaflets to the general public. It can definitely help achieve the goal.
Suhail
Dubai,UAE
Posted: June 01, 2008, 09:02
Why cant the people selling cigarettes ask for ID as proof of age. Everyone has some form of ID that has their date of birth on it. Thats what a lot of other countries including the UK and the US use. They check ID for night clubs and some shows in Dubai. Why not IDs for cigarettes ?
Ben
Chesterfield,USA
Posted: June 01, 2008, 07:57
From my experience as a mayor, I would suggest that all law enforcement agents do not smoke. The law enforcement agents should be given random tobacco tests. Dubai should also ban any person or corporation that promotes deathly tobacco products. Any vendor caught selling tobacco to the underage should have to stand in a public place with a sign saying, "Kids, please forgive me." Tobacco left me fatherless at age 11.
Mike
Birmingham,USA
Posted: June 01, 2008, 05:56
|
