BY PMA RASHEED
The specific standard requirements for import of tobacco products have been applied with the purpose of providing a safer living environment to the public, said a senior official at the Ministry of Health (MoH).
Speaking on the National Anti-Tobacco Law, Dr Wedad Al Maidoor, Head of the National Tobacco Control Committee at the MoH, told The Gulf Today that the regulations would facilitate a strong channel to stop the phenomenon of smuggling of substandard tobacco products that pose even severer health risks to the users.
"All kinds of cigarettes and tobacco products are harmful to health. But the law enforces the import ban on cigarettes which do not meet standard specifications mainly pertaining to implicit warnings on packaging," she explained.
According to Al Maidoor, the federal law will focus on stringent checks on tobacco products in the market in order to ensure the non-availability of non-conforming products.
She pointed out that, as per the new regulations, the levels of ingredients such as nicotine, tar and carbon monoxide in each cigarette must not exceed levels set by international standards.
"The MoH will check the permitted amount of ingredients in each cigarette as well as the packaging regulations in co-operation with the Emirates Authority of Specifications (EMA)," she pointed out.
Al Maidoor also mentioned that the hefty fine of Dhs.1 million is intended to wipe out tobacco promotions.
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