The UAE is considering extending a ban on smoking at public places to hotel rooms and restaurants within an ongoing campaign to curb smoking and protect public health, the semi official daily 'Al Ittihad' reported on Monday.

The move is within a new law governing smoking in the country to be presented to the federal cabinet in December, the paper said, quoting Dr Widad Almaidour, head of the anti-smoking team at the Ministry of Health.

“We are considering a decision allowing smoking only outside the closed buildings in general. The Ministry of Health and other competent authorities are now discussing this plan with the hotels. The new decision means that smoking rooms at hotels must be outside the hotel building while the current rules allow smoking inside the hotel rooms,” she said.

“We are considering this move because medical and scientific studies have shown that no ventilation system can separate smoke from other places.”’

She said the new rules could cover restaurants, which will be asked to assign smoking areas away from restaurant premises exceeding 1,000 square metres.

Maidour said tougher rules could be enforced on coffee shops, which will be forced to move away from residential areas.“They must also abide by other conditions relating to ventilation and public health,” she added.