The UAE Cabinet has recently approved a new anti-smoking campaign that will put warnings graphic pictures on the cigarette packets, with a graphic picture covering over half of the packet. This comes as UAE health insurance companies say that cigarette smoking is among the leading health concerns across the Emirate. The ban also stops tobacco companies from using “smooth, “silky”, “light” or similar words to describe the product, as the government says that the cigarettes are none of those things.
The Acting Minister of Health, who is responsible for the implementation of the new campaign, said that the regulation will be enforced once approved at the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) level. No deadline was given on when the new packaging laws will be enforced.
Members of the health care community welcomed the move, saying that graphic images send a strong message to smokers. Some are even calling for a similar step as in Australia and the UK, which have plain, white packs without any labelling.
The new packaging law is another step as part of the larger effort among the Emirate to curb the smoking habit of its citizens. In another step, the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) has said that it will intensify its anti-tobacco initiatives through its cessation clinics and campaigns, especially targeting schoolchildren aged 12 to 21.
In 2010, the DHA conducted 98 anti-smoking campaigns targeting 6,221 people from various schools, colleges, malls, government institutions and sports clubs. The data collected from these institutions prompted the DHA to reach out to more schools in Dubai.
According to the World Health Organisation and Dubai Medical Insurance experts, young people who smoke may experience respiratory and non-respiratory effects, addiction to nicotine and shortness of breath. They also could have a lower level of lung function and reduced rate of lung growth compared to those who have never smoked.