UAE bans smoking in car with kids under 12

It has been in the air for some time, but now it is official: smoking in the car in the presence of a child under the age of 12 is a violation, which will be fined with Dh500.

On Monday, the UAE Cabinet approved the Bylaws of the Federal Anti-Tobacco Law, which was approved in 2010. The bylaws had been under review ever since, but were not made official until yesterday.

Expected is that enforcement of the laws will follow soon, with an indication towards action at the end of Ramadan.

Under the new rules anybody smoking in the car in the presence of a child below the age of 12 will be fined Dh500 when it is a first-time offence. When the offence is repeated, the fine will be doubled.

The rule was suggested by the National Committee for Tobacco Control. Earlier, this website quoted Dr Wedad Maidoor, Chairman of the Committee on Tobacco Control, Ministry of Health, as saying that the committee considered smoking in the presence of a child in a car as an offence similar to not wearing a seat belt or even jumping a red light.

Another restriction formed by the bylaws is a ban on advertising and promoting tobacco products, which will be fined with Dh100,000 to Dh1 million.

A jail-term of up to two years can be imposed on those importing tobacco products without a proper warning.

Furthermore, tobacco products may not be sold in residential buildings or areas and near schools or to customers under the age of 18, and shisha cafés will have to be licensed and located away from residential areas.

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