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The Peninsula) Shops along the main Commercial Street in the Old Airport area of the city have been barred from selling cigarettes or any other tobacco product.
The Ministry of Municipality and Urban Planning swung into action recently and imposed a ban on the sale cigarette and tobacco along the main street in this populous locality after it was learnt that schoolchildren in the area indulged in smoking after buying cigarettes from shops nearby.
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Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) has sent a communication which responds to a nasty letter written by an e-cigarette company. The nasty letter alleged that a news article pointing out some of the dangers of e-cigarettes reported by the Food and Drug Administration [FDA] "could lead to the deaths of smokers and electronic cigarette users." . . .
In summary, in evaluating e-cigarettes, we respectfully suggest that both your publication and your readers not rely upon the largely unsubstantiated representations of sellers (who have an obvious bias and usually no medical training or credibility), some allegedly supported by studies which have not been published in reputable medical journals and which may have been financed by the industry itself (thereby creating a clear conflict of interest).
Instead, we would urge your publication and your readers to rely upon the impartial governmental body charged by U.S. law with evaluating such products [FDA], major U.S. national health organizations which are impartial and have the necessary scientific authority and credibility to address these issues, and decisions by impartial and unbiased entities such as the Attorney General of Oregon, Facebook, etc.
In this regard you should find the links [URLs] set forth in this communication, as well as the many URLs contained in the linked documents, helpful. We urge you and your readers to consult them for the truth. The simple truth is that no reputable scientific study, much less one published in a major scientific or medical journal, has ever shown that e-cigarettes are any less dangerous than conventional tobacco cigarettes.
In an article posted on their website anti-smoking organisation ASH has attacked an electronic cigarette company, E Cigarette Direct, for writing a "nasty" letter to The Peninsula, Qatar.
In E Cigarette Direct's open letter to the Peninsula, Managing Director Jean Rasbridge had argued that the newspaper's allegation that the electronic cigarette contained 40 times more nicotine than ordinary cigarettes was incorrect, pointing out that:
"Even the highest level of nicotine (31.5 micrograms per puff) [found by the FDA commissioned report] is lower than that of regular cigarettes."
Citing the FDA commissioned report on the electronic cigarette, she also challenged the assumption that the electronic cigarette was more dangerous than conventional cigarettes based on a comparison of the ingredients between e- cigarettes and regular cigarettes.
In response, lawyer John Banzhaf III of ASH attacked E Cigarette Direct not on the basis that the facts of the letter were wrong, but because managing director Jean Rasbridge 'apparently' had no medical background. . . .
In a response to Ash published on the E Cigarette Direct website, the company alleged that ASH had not replied directly to any of the points raised by E Cigarette Direct, stating:
"We believe that ASH did not deal with the issues we raised simply because there is no logical response."
LONDON, ENGLAND
A recent article by the Peninsula, Qatar on the electronic cigarette contains false and misleading information that could lead to the deaths of smokers and electronic cigarette users.
An Open Letter to the Editor of The Peninsula, Qatar
Dear Sir
In a recent report on the electronic cigarette your newspaper stated that the electronic cigarette is more dangerous than conventional cigarettes.
Your report appears to rely on a twisted and incorrect reading of the FDA's commissioned analysis of the electronic cigarette. . . .
In one out of the eighteen cartridges tested the scientists found a single harmful carcinogen, Diethylene Glycol.
Ingredients in Conventional Cigarettes
In contrast, cigarettes contain the following carcinogens: Benz(a)anthracene, Benzo(b)fluoranthene, Benzo(j)fluoranthene, Benzo(k)fluoranthene, Benzo(a)pyrene, Dibenz(a,h)anthracene,, Dibenzo(a,l)pyrene, Dibenzo(a,e)pyrene, Indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene, Quinolineb, Dibenz(a,j)acridine, Benzo(b)furan, Furan, N-Nitrosodimethylamine, N -Nitrosoethylmethylamine, N -Nitrosodiethylamine, N -Nitroso-di-n-butylamine, N -Nitrosopyrrolidine N -Nitrosopiperidine, N -Nitrosodiethanolamine, N -Nitrosonornicotine, 4-(Methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone, 2-Toluidine 2,6-Dimethylaniline, 2-Naphthylamine, 4-Aminobiphenyl, AaC, PhIP, Formaldehyde, Acetaldehyde, 1,3-Butadiene, Isoprene, Benzene, Styrene, Acetamide, Acrylamide,, Acrylonitrile, Vinyl chloride, DDT, DDE, Catechol, Caffeic acid, 1,1-Dimethylhydrazine, 2-Nitropropane, Nitrobenzene, Ethyl carbamate, Ethylene oxide, Propylene oxide, Methyleugenol, Hydrazine, Arsenic, Nickel, Chromium, Cadmium, Lead and Polonium-210. . . .
Cigarettes kill one third of long term users.
By persuading people to smoke real cigarettes or to revert from electronic cigarettes to real cigarettes, there can be little doubt that your article could lead to the deaths of smokers.
We call on you to issue a retraction of the falsehoods contained in your story.
Perhaps there is still time to undo some of the damage your false and misleading 'reporting' has caused.
As quoted from a recent report, “US Surgeon General Richard Carmona has concluded that there is no safe level of secondhand smoke exposure. The report, which reviewed 20 years of evidence on the health hazards of exposure to secondhand smoke, found that even trace levels of exposure have immediate, damaging effects on non-smokers.” Even though the evidence is overwhelming, and there are “no smoking” signs posted everywhere, as I walk through the City Center Mall, TheMall and Landmark Mall I am constantly assaulted by smoke mostly from men in national dress smoking openly, usually right under the posted “no smoking” signs while security guards and coffee shop employees blithely ignore both the health risk and disrespect to other shown by the smokers. Why bother posting signs that are ignored. Instead why not actually enforce the no smoking laws so that everyone can enjoy a healthier, smoke free environment.
A senior official of the Supreme Council of Health has called on the public to abide by the Tobacco Law in Qatar that bans smoking in enclosed public places.
The call came ahead of the World No Tobacco Day which falls on May 31. Qatar will mark the occasion with a series of activities including an exhibition at the City Center premises aimed at educating the public about the hazards of smoking. During the event, counselling will be offered for people who wish to quit smoking.
Director of Public Health at the Supreme Council of Health, Dr Mohammed Al Thani said, "Tobacco is the single most preventable cause of death in the world accounting for about five million deaths every year.
With the Ministry of Health intensifying its campaign against smoking, more people have been punished for violating the provisions of Law No 20 of 2002, which bans smoking in public places and regulates the import and sale of tobacco and its derivatives.
In January this year alone, fines amounting to QR35, 500 were imposed for various types of violations by the ministry's inspectors, many of whom have been given judicial powers. This represents a sharp increase from 2008, when fines to the tune of QR196,700 were imposed during the whole year.
Dr Ali Arab Ataullah of the anti-smoking unit at the ministry said the multi-faceted campaign against smoking had started delivering results.
The number of smokers in the country is estimated to be about 37 percent of the total population, including nationals and expatriates.
"There is an increased awareness about the hazards of smoking and there are indications the habit is declining in the country," Ataullah told
More than 400 people attended a special Health Lifestyles and No-smoking event held by the Management team of Salam Tower, with support from Qatargas, QChem, Chevron Phillips and other Salam Tower tenants.
The Qatar Ministry of Health and other health service providers supported the event, which aimed to promote awareness of the ill effects of smoking and encourage people to lead healthy lifestyles.
With an aim to promote awareness of the ill effects of smoking, the Ministry of Health supported the no-smoking campaign at Salam Tower on Monday. More than 400 people attended the special ‘healthy lifestyle and no smoking’ campaign along with health experts, also present at the venue.
There were even demonstrations on the ill effects of smoking and how cigarette smoke damages lungs. Cotton was placed in a tube and at the brim of the tube, a cigarette was allowed to burn. As the cigarette burned, the cotton turned yellow and saggy.
Faisal Ahmed, a teacher from Ahmed Bin Mohammad Independent Secondary School said, “The lungs also get discoloured in the same way causing excessive damage to the heart”. To demonstrate the above method Mosaab Gaily, Ahmed Jubran and Abdulla Abd al Rahman, grade 12 students of Ahmed Bin Mohammad Independent Secondary School took a proactive role in helping the people understand the harmful effects of smoking. . . .
Smoking seesha increases the risk of lung diseases and lung cancer too”. The event was supported also by the management team of Salam Tower with support from Qatargas, Qchem, Chevron Philips and other Salam Tower tenants.
the National Health Authority (NHA) is working on a draft containing recommendations for amending the law.
NHA is also recruiting more inspectors who will be given judicial powers to check violations of the provisions in the existing law.
The recommendations are being prepared by the Non-Communicable Diseases Section at NHA in cooperation with its legal department.
"We have been working on the draft but it is too early to talk about specific recommendations. The idea is to make the law compatible with international standards and the WHO guidelines," . . .
Currently, there are only six full-time inspectors and more than a dozen volunteers. NHA needs some 300 inspectors to cover the whole country.
QATAR will impose stronger warnings on all tobacco products soon. According to sources, all GCC countries will follow the practice of the World Health Organisation (WHO)’ Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) that they signed earlier this year.
“Qatar is working closely with the other GCC countries to work out the details, including customs, tax and labeling and might be able to implement the convention in early 2009,” sources said.
Bahrain announced on Tuesday that tobacco firms would be forced to print pictures of damaged organs, such as lungs and hearts, on cigarette packs in order to get entry into the GCC market. They would also have to make sure that 50 to 30% of a pack bear a larger warning statement on smoking hazards.
EXCESSIVE cigarette smoking may have a major role in altering sperm quality, thereby adversely affecting male reproductive health, a study conducted by Qatar University in collaboration with Hamad Medical Corporation has indicated. Seminal parameters such as sperm concentration, total sperm count and forward motility, and sperm morphology, which refer to the size and shape of the sperm, were changed due to heavy smoking, it was revealed.
As if smokers did not have it bad enough already, a group of 'enforcers' have been roaming around the Najma area of the city asking shopkeepers to stop selling cigarettes. While some shopowners have complied, others are selling cigarettes from literally under the counter.
A request for a package or a carton of cigarttes sees the counter salesman or his assistant scurrying to a back room to fetch the 'contraband'. In other cases, cigarettes have discreetly been stashed in the cash drawer while in other cases, they are kept in innocuous plastic carry bags.
A shopkeeper told The Peninsula yesterday when asked why cigarettes are no longer at hand: "One day a group of bearded men came to the shop and asked us to stop selling cigarttes. They were mutawas I think and certainly not from the municipality." . . .
Shopkeepers say the gentleman visitors were courteous and in no way threatening. A shopkeeper said: "We felt it was safest to listen to them. In any case, we are still selling cigarettes although not displaying them openly."
British American Tobacco joined forces with prominent cooperative societies to launch the Partners in Responsibility youth smoking prevention campaign in Kuwait. The campaign, which aims to raise awareness of laws that regulate underage smoking, was launched on the 4th of May 2008 in all outlets of Dasmah and Bnaid Al-Gar, Bayan, Al-Adeliyiyyah, Kaifan and Al-Rawda and Hawally cooperative societies. Bassem Bekdache, Head of Corporate and Regulatory Affairs for British American Tobacco in the GCC stated that "We hope that the Partners in Responsibility campaign will help increase awareness of the law. We take the matter of youth smoking prevention very seriously and are backing up words with actions. In addition to Kuwait, this campaign has also been rolled out in Bahrain and Qatar with more countries to follow by the end of 2008."