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29 March 2024

Some Sharjah groceries still selling cigarettes on the sly

Published
By Joseph George

Some groceries in Sharjah are still selling cigarettes albeit discreetly as officials in the emirate begin a crackdown on violating traders.

Earlier this month, all neighborhood stores were issued notices warning them against selling cigarettes in what could be a follow up to a rule passed in 2012.

Read: Sharjah to ban cigarette sale in residential areas

Emirates 24|7 visited a few groceries in Sharjah’s residential areas and found most of them had complied with the ruling and had removed cigarettes off the shelves.

However when asked for a pack, a few of them did pull out packets from under vegetable baskets and other unusual locations.

“We know that we are not supposed to officially sell cigarettes. But a ban will seriously affect our business,” said a shopkeeper in the Al Khan neighborhood.

Another trader said the order made no sense unless sale of cigarettes is banned from all stores irrespective of where they are located.

“We anyways do not sell cigarettes to minors. It is not fair that cigarettes are available in supermarkets and stores outside the residential areas while we are not allowed to sell the same,” he argued.

In 2012, when the news of the order was first made public, groceries had voiced their fears that their businesses would suffer the most following a ban.

Read: Groceries unhappy with ban on sale of cigarettes

While some groceries claim they’re only selling the packs of remaining stock, another said they could be forced to sell under the counter for known customers but at a premium.