What’s On explains the Dubai Municipality announcement about smoking in bars in Dubai. Dubai Municipality want to ban smoking in public places in Dubai.


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Leaving bars and restaurants reeking of stale smoke could soon become a thing of the past after the Dubai Municipality announced it would get tough on smoking in public places.

A campaign to implement UAE Cabinet Resolution No 24 – made last year – which concerns the ‘prohibition and control of tobacco use in public places for the public interest’ was revealed on August 6.

No official definition of what constitutes a ‘public place’ was made, though it is hoped to be an expansion of the current ban on smoking in government buildings, hospitals and schools. No details of fines and sanctions for floating the rules were announced either.

 

The statement, released through news agency WAM, said: “The move comes as a result of violations being reported from different parts of the emirate of breaches in the rules of smoking in public places.

“The Municipality has called on all members of the community and concerned parties to cooperate with the implementation of the resolution as required, with the aim of building a healthy and safe community and a clean environment, free of tobacco toxins.”

The development is another blow to shisha fans who earlier this year were told that whiling away an evening with a mint-flavoured pipe is just as bad for your health as a pack of 10.

According to a study of regular shisha users, carried out by the University of California, the water doesn’t filter the smoke – it merely cools it down. The researchers behind the study say shisha users are exposed to the same cancer-causing compounds as their cigarette-smoking pals.