Sharjah Municipality’s proposal to ban tobacco products from being sold in groceries and stores near schools and residential areas, when implemented, will effectively seal and snap an important connection between children and smoking. While the designated areas and stores are still under consideration — and there is a great deal of complexity in working out the proposal’s water-tight implementation — the fact is that this move underscores the authorities’ acknowledgement of the role easy access to this commodity plays in encouraging children to light up.
While the issue of children and smoking has many aspects that need to be tackled at multiple levels, putting a distance between them and the source of availability of tobacco products works terrifically as baseline prevention. This move will come to the rescue of parents as well who, understandably, cannot monitor their child’s every move outside the house and are often unaware of the habits their child is picking up.
By proposing the sale of tobacco products to be confined to malls, gas stations and big stores only, the authorities are ensuring that their anti-smoking measures are speedily on track.
