Chewing tobacco outlawed

HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT: Ajman has banned the sale, import, storage and possession of chewing tobacco. (Getty Images)

Ajman Municipality on Sunday banned the sale, import, storage and possession of chewing tobacco and will heavily fine anyone found disobeying the new law.

Administrative order No.15 aims to maintain a clean and healthy living environment in the emirate, according to UAE daily Khaleej Times.

Those found flouting the law will be punished with fines of 10,000 dirhams ($2,700) with repeat offenders liable to pay double that amount.

The decision was made after municipality inspectors claimed the cleanliness of the environment around stores selling tobacco products had been compromised, Khaled Al Housent, head of the Health Directorate at Ajman Municipality, told the newspaper.

Already 30 shops have been fined or warned after a coordinated effort between the municipality and selected schools in the emirate found many shops selling cigarettes to children under the age of 18.

In cases where it is proven that stores had sold tobacco products to minors, the outlets were forced to close down.

The municipality intends to launch another round of inspections in an effort to crackdown on grocery stores and food outlets found to be acting illegally.

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READERS' COMMENTS

Hygiene?
Posted by Ian Pipes, Dubai on Tuesday 20 May 2008 at 17:24 UAE time


Hey John, I think the ban on spitting tobacco in the street might be on hygiene grounds, rather than a belief that it gives other people cancer. Diseases like TB can be spread through spit and it's not very nice to have to walk through it.

chewing tobacco ban
Posted by John Larson, Dubai, United Arab Emirates on Tuesday 20 May 2008 at 10:23 UAE time


Absurd. Either ban tobacco or don't. Unless someone is spitting tobacco juice directly at you, the average 'human immitation of a car exhaust pipe', aka, smoking within breathing range of another human, is far more offensive, disgusting and harmful. To draw a fair comparison, you would have to be forced to drink the 'second hand spit' the same way we are forced to breath the 'second hand smoke'. disgusting and unthinkable I know, but then why is the perception of smokers disgusting barrage on the rest of us perceived any differently. 'dear Ajman, get a clue.'

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