UAE | General
Tobacco law may stub out shisha
The Ministry of Health plans to institute a complete ban on shisha and midwakh once the UAE introduces the federal anti-tobacco law, expected to come in by June.
- By Nina Muslim, Staff Reporter
- Published: 01:22 February 22, 2008
Dubai: The Ministry of Health plans to institute a complete ban on shisha and midwakh once the UAE introduces the federal anti-tobacco law, expected to come in by June.
Smoking shisha, or the water pipe, is a popular pastime among Middle Easterners and others who associate the activity with Middle Eastern culture. Midwakh, or the Arabic pipe, is popular among teenagers who have said it gives a more intense high.
The UAE has been working on a federal law regulating tobacco and its uses, content and sale, in accordance with the World Health Organisation (WHO) Framework Convention of Tobacco Control (FCTC).
Dr Wedad Al Maidoor, head of the National Tobacco Control Committee, told Gulf News among other things, the law forbids tobacco use in enclosed areas and public places, without specifying the type of tobacco.
"It does not ban shisha totally, like in Sharjah, the law is very general but maybe we will ask for the ban after the law comes out," she said, adding midwakh has also been targeted.
She said banning the two tobacco products was the best option as regulations requiring content identification and warning signs on the products was not enforceable.
"Warning signs will not work with shisha and midwakh - how do you put a warning, on the pipe? - so a ban is better," she said.
She added the ministry would take the Dubai and Abu Dhabi experience in banning shisha into account.
Dangerous
However, Dr Wedad said the ban would not come in until the ministry had completed their studies into shisha and midwakh-smoking, on their prevalence and effects, in the UAE.
The first study will begin in October, when the UAE embarks on the comprehensive global health survey, in association with the WHO. The survey will include questions on tobacco use in the UAE. Another study in the works is a shisha-specific study, which she said should be conducted within a year.
Recent studies around the world on shisha smoking have found more and more evidence the Middle Eastern pastime is as dangerous, if not more dangerous, as cigarette-smoking.
A French laboratory report in November found one sitting of shisha produced 70 litres of smoke, which had 27 to 102 times the carbon tar in a cigarette, and 15 to 52 times more carbon monoxide, depending on the type of shisha smoked.
Your comments
Cars are harmful - to health, the environment, and very much cause frustration - why not ban cars?
William
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: February 22, 2008, 03:30
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