In some countries, smokers are chased out of villages by angry mobs brandishing pitchforks and flaming torches. This phenomenon appears to be slightly less prevalent in the UAE, and with Abu Dhabi’s restaurants and cafés still providing dedicated areas for those wishing to puff away nonchalantly in between courses, you could be forgiven for thinking the emirate is a bit of a smoker’s paradise. But the days of inhaling at leisure are drawing to a close, as by December the Abu Dhabi Government plans to finalise the implementation of all changes to the laws on smoking, brought about by the Federal Law on Tobacco Control.
When introduced back in 2009, a two-year grace period was given by the government to allow businesses affected by the law to do what they needed to accommodate the new regulations. The new law makes it illegal to smoke in enclosed public spaces (except in designated smoking areas) and a punishable offence to sell tobacco products to minors – even going so far as to ban sweets that resemble these products. It also enforces a distance of at least 150 metres between shisha cafés and residential areas, and outlaws smoking in a private car with a child under the age of 12. With the December 21 deadline fast approaching, Health Authority – Abu Dhabi has teamed up with the city’s police to raise awareness of the effect of the new laws and to clamp down on establishments that haven’t fallen in line.
Between 24 and 35 per cent of the population of the emirate are regular smokers, and smoking is the second highest killer in the UAE. Out of all those indulging in tobacco based activities, 55 per cent smoke cigarettes, 38 per cent smoke medwakh (local pipe tobacco) and 29 per cent smoke shisha. To cut these numbers, the Abu Dhabi Government signed an agreement with the World Health Organisation, pioneering a training programme to educate physicians, pharmacists and Imams in giving advice to people wanting to quit, and introducing rehabilitation clinics across the city.
But the government wants the six-month race to the finish to be a collaboration between the law-enforcers and the residents. ‘We can have lots of laws, and we have introduced many, but these are no good without the support of the community,’ says Dr Mohammed Bader Al Seiari, director of the Health System Compliance Division. ‘We really need cooperation. Knowledge is very important for the community, non-smokers should be protected and be aware of what rights they have.’
This emphasis on education is part of HAAD’s efforts to personalise their campaign, which pushes the responsibility we all have to protect others, particularly children, from second hand smoke, stresses that smoking should not be a part of Emirati culture. ‘There are negative traditions as well as positive ones, and we need to abandon these,’ says Dr Al Seiari, saying shisha is a tradition that belongs in the past. With shisha cafés to be eradicated from residential areas by the December deadline, it’s clear Abu Dhabi is taking its stance against smoking very seriously. And although we will still be able to enjoy an evening hookah session once in a while, HAAD is hoping our health will be at the forefront of our minds.
For information, contact HAAD (healthcare@haad.ae, 800 800), or visit the website www.haad.ae
Finding it too hard to quit? We bring you five ways you can be a more considerate smoker
1. Don’t involve others. If you’re planning a night out, suggest going to a bar rather than a shisha café so that those who don’t want to partake in your favourite smoky pastime don’t feel pressured.
2. Manage without during mealtimes. Even if you’ve taken your place in the smoking section, it’s likely non-smokers are within breathing distance.
3. Don’t smoke in front of children whether they’re yours or not. Don’t expose little ones to your second hand smoke.
4. Try an alternative when smoking around other people. Electronic cigarettes (space age or what?) will give you your nicotine hit without getting up your friends’ noses.
5. Get a portable ashtray. They might look ridiculous, but they’re far more aesthetically pleasing than all those old butts clogging up the gutter.
