Yemen: President calls for anti-smoking law implementation

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SANA'A - President Ali Abdullah Saleh issued directives to strictly implement the anti- smoking law which prohibits smoking in all indoor public places including public transport.

The law, which was issued in 2005, has already been enforced in the Ministry of Public Health and Population, Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation and Ministry of Foreign Affairs in addition to the Yemeni Airline CompanyYemeni Airline Company and Social Fund for Development.

In his meeting with the participants of the Fourth Gulf Conference on Fighting Cancer, which took place from February 16-18, Saleh emphasized a previous decision to increase fees on cigarettes. He also warned against dangers of smoking on health.

Dr. Abdul-Hakim Al-Kuhlani, the supervisor of the National Anti- Smoking Program in the Ministry of Public Health and Population said the president directed strict measures towards the enforcement of Law No.26 from the year 2005 on combating smoking.

"The Ministry of Health issued no-smoking directives to all medical facilities. There are fines on smokers ranging from YR 500 to YR 2,000. These fines are double against physicians and teachers," explained al-Kuhlani.

"I hope the directives of the president will be widely implemented to cover more places," added al-Kuhlani.

Head of Information Department in the Ministers' Council Yahya al- Gayifi said the president's directives will bend every citizen to abide by the law.

General Director of the Traffic Police Department Yahya Zaher says there was a law issued three years ago against smoking in public transportation. Fines have been set against drivers and passengers alike who smoke inside the vehicles on the road, ranging from YR 500 against passengers to 2,000 against derivers.

"Implementing the law really needs public cooperation," said Zaher. "The public is not cooperative on notifying us of any violation of the law. We hope for public cooperation in this matter and for the public to notify us of any smoking incidents."

"We have deterring measures against those who violate the law. If a driver or passenger notifies us that someone in smoking on the bus, a traffic policeman will bring him to the station for due punishment," he explained.

Fras Shamsan, member of the Media Youth Forum, a youth body campaigning against smoking, says that a campaign entitled "My live is Better without Smoking" will be launched next June to combat the habit.

"The campaign will help people give up smoking and enlighten them on the danger s of smoking," said Shamsan.

Doctors agree that tobacco, in all its forms - cigarettes, smoking pipes or chewing tobacco- is a leading cause of cancer.

Laws implementing bans on indoor smoking have been introduced by many countries in various forms over the last years, with some legislators citing scientific evidence that shows tobacco smoking is also harmful to those inhaling second-hand smoke.

The World Health Organization considers smoke-free laws to have an influence in reducing the demand for tobacco by creating an environment where smoking becomes increasingly more difficult, and to help shift social norms away from the acceptance of smoking in everyday life.

By Mahmoud Assamiee

© Yemen Times 2009