Article:
ISSUE No. 9 March - April 2008

Non Smokers can now breathe deeply
Smoking Bans take effect in Dubai

Since November of last year, smoking is prohibited in all public places in Dubai, including shopping centers, malls, restaurants, cafeterias, nightclubs and bars. Those who do not obey this new regulation will be slapped with hefty fines which were introduced in January. Inspectors of the Dubai Municipality will make their rounds at places where smoking is banned. “The Dubai Police helps the municipal inspectors and they are given the authority to fine the offenders”, says Abdullah Rafeeu, Assistant Director General for Environment and Public Health Affairs. By setting up a computerized database, the authorities will keep track of offenders and decide on the fines.

Also, if a mall, shopping center, bar or restaurant is found disregarding the guidelines for smoking areas, like proper ventilation, they will be penalized. The decision for the ban has come in wake of the Dubai Strategic Plan 2007-2015, which was set up to protect public health and improve quality of life for the UAE nationals as well as expatriates in Dubai.

The first step to a smoke-free city was made in May 2007 when smoking was banned in public areas as well as in governmental buildings. Beginning in September 2007, the ban was expanded to shopping malls, educational institutions, offices, internet-cafes and fast-food areas.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), some 5.4 Million people die each year from exposure to tobacco smoke. Hundreds of thousands of people who have never smoked die from diseases caused by second-hand smoke. With these new regulations Dubai follows countries like France, the UK, Spain, Ireland, Canada, the United States and Germany who also banned smoking in public places.