http://www.tobacco.org/newsfeed/country/uae:_dubai.rss Latest top tobacco news headlines en-us http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle.asp?xfile=data/theuae/2008/August/theuae_August597.xml&section=theuae&col http://tobacco.org/news/270466.html The regulations governing shisha-serving outlets will be strictly implemented in the next few months, but the municipal authorities in Dubai have not banned smoking of shisha during the holy month of Ramadan. This was stated by Redha Hassan Salman, Director of Public Health and Safety Department in Dubai Municipality, after reports of a "ban on shisha" appeared in a section of the media. "Shisha smoking in public places will be strictly regulated, and the cafes found not complying with the municipality rules will be soon ordered closed. The programme that we launched in November 2007 is to gradually regulate shisha smoking, and we have not initiated any ban on shisha outlets," Salman told Khaleej Times. "We have also devised a new strategy to regulate the setting up of Ramadan tents where shisha is served. Only 4-star and 5-star restaurants will be allowed to set up tents and the activities conducted in the tent will be monitored," he pointed out. . . . SHISHA REGULATIONS Shisha outlets must be enclosed, and with proper ventilation system Shisha outlets must display a cautionary notice prohibiting the entry of people below the age of 20 Khaleej Times dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com (Dhanusha Gokulan) Uae: Dubai Fri, 29 Aug 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?col=&section=theuae&xfile=data/theuae/2008/August/theuae_August407.xml http://tobacco.org/news/270200.html Come 2009, Dubai would be outlawing smoking while driving. If it does, Dubai would become probably the first city in the Middle East to penalise people who smoke behind the steering wheel. The Dubai Road Safety Strategy, being prepared by a Sweden-based consultancy company, is likely to be implemented next year. The strategy would focus on several traffic safety issues, including smoking while driving, Hussain Mohammed Al Banna, Director of Traffic Department at the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) told Khaleej Times on Tuesday. Khaleej Times joy@khaleejtimes.com (Joy Sengupta) Uae: Dubai Wed, 20 Aug 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.gulfnews.com/nation/City_Talk/10235852.html http://tobacco.org/news/269821.html The authorities in Dubai are planning to expand the ban on smoking in public to more areas including parks and beaches in addition to the current restriction on smoking in shopping malls. The ban will form the next phase of the municipality's smoking regulation enforcement, which has so far covered hotels, restaurants and cafes, malls and sports halls. Smoking in parks will be banned, because they house many family areas, including children's playgrounds. While many residents welcomed the move, smokers voiced their concern asking for designated areas for smoking in all public places. Gulf News took to the streets and asked a cross-section of residents for their take on the ban on smoking in public places and whether they thought people should be banned from smoking in their cars. . . . "It's a free world and you can't stop people smoking. It's a personal choice and banning smoking outdoors is an infringement on civil liberties. I also think this latest step will be difficult to enforce." Gulf News Uae: Dubai Sun, 10 Aug 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.zawya.com/Story.cfm/sidGN_05082008_10234549/secIndustries/pagHealthcare http://tobacco.org/news/269615.html The ban on public smoking will be extended to parks, a Dubai Municipality official said. Ahmad Al Shammari, Acting Director of the Public Health Department of the municipality, said: "Our next target will be public parks." The ban will form the next phase of the municipality's smoking regulation enforcement, which has covered hotels, restaurants and cafes, malls and sports halls to date. Smoking in public parks will be banned, because there are many family areas, including children's playgrounds Zawya.com support@zawya.com (Alice Johnson) Uae: Dubai Tue, 05 Aug 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.zawya.com/Story.cfm/sidGN_07072008_10226777/secIndustries/pagHealthcare http://tobacco.org/news/268368.html The municipalitymunicipality has said fine for smoking in Dubai malls are likely to be imposed in September. The Dh1,000 fine can be slapped by Dubai Police, if smokers do not put out their cigarettes in malls when asked to by security guards. Zawya.com support@zawya.com Uae: Dubai Mon, 07 Jul 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?col=&section=theuae&xfile=data/theuae/2008/July/theuae_July244.xml http://tobacco.org/news/268360.html As many as 25 restaurants in the emirate have been slapped with fines ranging between Dh5,000 and Dh10,000 for violating the smoking regulations in public places, Salem bin Mesmar, Assistant Director-General for Health, Safety and Environment Control at the Dubai Municipality, said yesterday. Although there is a list of fines for individuals violating the regulations, none of them caught flouting the curbs has been fined so far. Khaleej Times Uae: Dubai Mon, 07 Jul 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?col=&section=theuae&xfile=data/theuae/2008/July/theuae_July220.xml http://tobacco.org/news/268336.html All private and public sports clubs and stadiums in the emirate will become 'smoke free' from September this year, Ahmad Saad Al Shareef, secretary-general of the Dubai Sports Council (DSC), said. Further, smoking will also be banned in sports activity halls, sports goods shops and amusement and games centres, he said. Speaking on the sidelines of a function held to mark the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the council and the Dubai Municipality, Shareef said both the bodies would initiate steps through which smoking could be completely curbed in stadiums, sports clubs and other sports-related outlets and centres. Hussain Nasser Lootah, Acting Director-General of the municipality, said with the youth brigade idolising famous personalities, they would be roping in popular local and international sports stars to Khaleej Times Uae: Dubai Sun, 06 Jul 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2008/07/06/new21.asp http://tobacco.org/news/268316.html The Customs Preventive Division is conducting an inquiry into the smuggling of cigarettes from Dubai valued at Rs. 16.4 million. According to customs sources this was the biggest detection this year. Statements were recorded from the travellers whose names appeared on the packages and the air cargo company which handled the consignment, said Assistant Director, Customs Preventive Division, K. A. Dharmasena. He said that those whose names were mentioned on the packages denied any knowledge of these items. Sunday Observer wedaarachchi@sundayobserver.lk (L. S. A. Wedaarachchi) Sri Lanka Uae: Dubai Sun, 06 Jul 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.xpress4me.com/news/uae/dubai/20008051.html http://tobacco.org/news/266844.html Dubai Despite the ban on selling tobacco to minors, groceries and supermarkets continue to openly flout the rules, XPRESS has discovered. After Dubai Municipality issued a public notice last week banning sale of tobacco to those under the age of 20, XPRESS took to the streets with a 16-year-old volunteer, Mohammad Al Madani, to find out if the rules were really being adhered to. The results were surprising. Of the seven groceries and supermarkets surveyed, four were found flouting the law. XPRESS yourname@domain.com (Mohammed N. Al Khan and Kamakshi Gupta, Staff Reporters) Uae: Dubai Thu, 12 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/theuae/2008/June/theuae_June22.xml&section=theuae&col= http://tobacco.org/news/266478.html The UAE earnestly embraced the global war against smoking on World No Tobacco Day yesterday by announcing that it would target youth, implement curbs and set up clinics to assist smokers to kick the butt. While Dubai -- which has already banned smoking in enclosed public places -- yesterday imposed curbs on shops from selling tobacco products including cigarettes to youth below 20 years, Sharjah geared up to implement the ban on smoking from today. The Ministry of Health (MoH), meanwhile, announced that setting up smoking cessation clinics across the emirates is at the forefront of its fight against smoking which, according to estimates, is a habit of 48 per cent of the people in the UAE. Khaleej Times Uae Uae: Dubai Sun, 01 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.menafn.com/qn_news_story_s.asp?StoryId=1093198868 http://tobacco.org/news/266357.html While supermarket chains in the emirate yesterday said they would comply with the Dubai Municipality directive not to sell tobacco products to people below 20 years, smaller groceries expressed fears that refusal to sell cigarettes to youth could result in ugly scenes at the outlets. Salem Mesmar, Assistant Director-General of the Health, Safety and Environmental Monitoring Section at the municipality, had told Khaleej Times earlier that the outlets found selling these products to underage people would be fined. The shops have been given the liberty to ask for an age proof from any customer whom they suspect to be underage. MENAFN.com Uae: Dubai Mon, 02 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hkAr5L7qQRIoBg0CN7_91MnasaqA http://tobacco.org/news/266351.html The Gulf emirate of Dubai on Saturday banned the sale of tobacco to anyone under the age of 20 with immediate effect and barred young people from public areas in which smoking is allowed. The announcement was made in public advertisements in Arabic-language newspapers as part of a "Youth Without Tobacco" campaign. A spokesman for Dubai municipality told AFP that cigarette vendors and managers of public places such as cafes and restaurants have been instructed to ask clients for proof of identity even to smoke water pipes. Agence France Presse Uae: Dubai Sun, 01 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/suffolk/7279575.stm http://tobacco.org/news/260939.html Nearly 18m counterfeit cigarettes were seized at Felixstowe About 18 million counterfeit cigarettes have been seized by customs staff at a Suffolk container port. The haul was found in two containers from Dubai, described as disposable plastic goods, and HM Revenue and Customs spokesman said. BBC Online UK Uae: Dubai Wed, 05 Mar 2008 05:00:00 GMT http://www.gulfnews.com/nation/Health/10195113.html http://tobacco.org/news/260840.html Dubai: Parents of teenagers have called for stricter municipal checks on grocery stores as many youngsters are able to buy cigarettes there despite a tobacco ban for under 21s. Parents have said 10-year-old children or younger smoking in public is a common sight. They have said there is an urgent need for regular municipal inspections on neighbourhood grocery stores. Gulf News Uae: Dubai Thu, 06 Mar 2008 05:00:00 GMT http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/theuae/2008/January/theuae_January386.xml&section=theuae&col http://tobacco.org/news/258230.html The third phase of the smoking regulations in public places instituted by the Dubai Municipality -- this time in hotels and hotel apartments -- came into effect yesterday. Most of the hotels had already made arrangements to comply with the curbs though some said they had expected the implementation to come later in the year. The Dubai Municipality yesterday announced the third phase which calls for smoking regulations in the hotels and hotel apartments. Khaleej Times Uae: Dubai Wed, 16 Jan 2008 05:00:00 GMT