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The MoU was signed by Eng. Hussain Nasser Lootah, Acting Director General of Dubai Municipality and Dr, Ahmed Saad Al Shareef, Secretary General of Dubai Sports Council.
Through this MoU, the Municipality will endeavour to have cooperation with Dubai Sports Council in the field of protecting the public health by ensuring the safety and hygiene of the internal environment; facing the present and future challenges on the hazards related to smoking and its impacts; limit as far as possible the health hazards generated through the spread of smoking in public places, among them are youth clubs and reduce public smoking places by 2009 through a plan to limit and ban smoking in public places starting from 31 May 2008 and also advertise it.
The areas where smoking is regulated from 31 May 2008 include public sporting areas. Smoking is banned in activity halls, sports goods shops, and amenities attached to sports halls. Allocating smoking room is permitted based on clear cut rules and regulations, which are clearly stated in the guidance manual on regulating smoking in the Emirate of Dubai.
In order to achieve the objectives of the MoU, both the sides have agreed to appoint coordinators from both sides to follow up the implementation of the MoU. A consultative team is also formed to define the smoking areas in different locations. Both sides also agreed upon the actions to be taken for implementing the smoking regulation law and the Local Order No.11 of 2003 regarding this. They also agreed to put smoking ban signs clearly at all places where it is banned, in addition to work on banning smoking gradually in all areas of the sporting centres and clubs where there are open places by the end of 2009.
Dubai Municipality also announced the beginning of the fourth phase of smoking regulation in public places. Starting from 1 July 2008 smoking is regulated in all entertainment and recreation places such as billiards and snooker shops, internet cafes and electronic games halls. The rules and regulations for smoking in restricted areas and the violations and penalties for smoking in banned areas were also announced. The programme is being implemented as per the strategic directives of Dubai Government, which approved a programme for regulating smoking in public places in order to protect the public health.
Regulating smoking in public places is one of the 20 programmes included in the Dubai Strategy in order to achieve public security, justice and safety aimed at securing public health, enhancing quality of life of the nationals as well as expatriates. The strategy is focused on the human being as the basic axis of social and economic development and health, which is the most valuable thing with the man.
The programme also intends to strengthen the impression of residents and visitors on the level of progress achieved by the Emirate of Dubai on the fields of health and environment and also to project the role and the care taken by the emirate in healthcare and enhancing quality of life.
The programme also aims at reducing the costs and funds allotted in the general budget of the government for spending to treat diseases caused by smoking and reducing expenditure for health awareness as well as to project the contribution of the UAE in smoking control and achieve the slogan of "Tobacco-free UAE." It also aims to ensure that the UAE is also going along with the world regarding the hazards of smoking.
Eng. Salem Bin Mesmar, Assistant Director General of Dubai Municipality for Health, Safety & Environment Control Sector said the programme declares the level of Municipality's keenness to contribute effectively in achieving the objectives of Dubai Strategic Plan for 2007-2011 and protecting the public health and enhancing the quality of life of nationals as well as expatriates.
He said the programme goes along with the directives of the World Health Organization, which is observing this year focusing on the necessity of creating indoor and outdoor environment free from smoking.
Mesmar said the programme is also part of implementing the international agreements signed by the UAE on protecting people from the dangers of smoking tobacco in internal work places, means of public transport, indoor public places and other areas that come under the definition of public places.
He said the Municipality thinks it has a duty to protect the health of non-smokers, especially children, women, patients and old people from being afflicted with chronic diseases just because they happen to be present at places where people smoke without any control.
"The programme aims at protecting the health of different category of people in the society from illness and death resulting from chronic diseases such as heart diseases, cancer and cardio-vascular diseases, which are afflicted on people due to second-hand smoking or forced smoking,"
Mesmar said.
Zuhoor Al Sabbagh, Director of Public Health Services Department said the entertainment and recreation places means the closed areas for recreation and entertainment, which includes but is not restricted to billiards and snooker halls, shops, internet cafes and electronic games halls, where members are normally allowed to smoke.
For having permitted areas for smoking in the entertainment and recreation places they should get license from the Department of Economic Development, whether it is billiard hall or internet café or electronic games hall and the there should be an area not less than 2000 square feet for the hall and the playing area should be at least 1500 square feet. The Buildings Department approval also should be there for interior decoration in addition to approval from Public Health Services Department.
Posted by Siba Sami Ammari
