Jordan: Airport, malls to become smoke-free |
|
Network this!
Amman - Queen Alia International Airport (QAIA)Queen Alia International Airport (QAIA)
and the country's malls will officially become smoke-free zones as of March 1, the Ministry of HealthMinistry of Health said on Thursday.In a statement received by The Jordan Times, Minister of Health Salah Mawajdeh said the ministry informed shopping mall owners and airport personnel on Thursday of the enforcement of the Public Health Law, which prohibits smoking in public areas.
Mawajdeh said the ministry had several meetings with shopping mall and restaurant owners to develop a mechanism for implementing the law.
"We requested representatives of locations included in the provision to declare their establishments as smoke-free zones through posting signs and using loudspeakers to notify customers of the law," Director of the Primary Healthcare Directorate Adel Bilbeisi told The Jordan Times on Thursday.
Under the new regulations, ministry personnel, along with shopping mall and airport employees, will request those smoking within the zones to stop or smoke outside, before issuing a fine.
Those caught smoking in public facilities will face a JD15-20 fine or prison terms ranging from one week to one month, in accordance with the law.
"In order to guarantee the implementation of the law, ministry staff will monitor public places in the first few days of implementation," Bilbeisi noted.
In order to gradually phase out smoking in public places, QAIAQAIA and shopping malls will be equipped with designated smoking areas, according to the minister's statement.
Meanwhile, Mawajdeh said the law will be enforced in tourist restaurants starting June 1.
The smoking ban, however, has yet to be reviewed by restaurant owners, according to Essam Fakhreldin, deputy president of the Jordan Restaurants Association (JRA).
"We are currently studying the impact of implementing the law, and the association has not yet accepted the measure," he told The Jordan Times, adding that implementing the decision is "complicated" and might negatively affect the industry.
"Some restaurants are licensed to serve argileh, which is very popular. Forcing them to stop this service will harm their overall business," Fakhreldin noted.
He revealed that the JRA is conducting a study to gauge customers' opinions regarding the decision, adding that a report will be ready next month in order for sector stakeholders to take a stance on the measure.
"The industry is already facing hard times... we do not want to add to the sector's financial burdens," Fakhreldin noted.
The Public Health Law was recently amended to prohibit smoking in public and private institutions and all public facilities.
The ban includes hospitals, healthcare centres, schools, cinemas, theatres, libraries, museums, public and nongovernmental buildings, public transport vehicles, airports, closed playgrounds, lecture halls and any other location to be determined by the health minister.
By Khetam Malkawi
© Jordan Times 2009
Comment on this article 
Loading ...-
Zawya encourages you to add a comment to this discussion. You agree that when you add content to this discussion your comments will not:
1.1 Contain any material which is libelous or defamatory of any person, is obscene, offensive, hateful or inflammatory or causes damage to the reputation of any person or organisation.
1.2 Promote sexually explicit material, violence, discrimination based on race, sex, religion, nationality, disability, sexual orientation or age or any illegal activity.
1.3 Be made in breach of any legal duty owed to a third party, such as a contractual duty or a duty of confidence.
1.4 Be threatening, abuse or invade another's privacy, or cause annoyance, inconvenience or needless anxiety.
1.5 Be used to impersonate any person, to misrepresent your identity or affiliation with any person, or be likely to deceive any person.
1.6 Give the impression that they represent Zawya.
1.7 Advocate, promote or assist any unlawful act such as (by way of example only) copyright infringement or computer misuse. - The content posted on www.zawya.com is created by members of the public. The views expressed are theirs and unless specifically stated are not those of Zawya. Zawya reserves the right to review all comments prior to posting and edit or delete any contribution, but Zawya is not responsible for and can not be held liable for any content posted by members of the public on www.zawya.com.
- Zawya is not responsible for the availability or content of any third party sites that are accessible through www.zawya.com. Any links to third party websites from www.zawya.com do not amount to any endorsement of that site by Zawya and any use of that site by you is at your own risk.
- By submitting your comment, you hereby give Zawya the right, but not the obligation, to post, air, edit, exhibit, telecast, webcast, re-use, publish, reproduce, use, license, print, distribute or otherwise use your comments worldwide, in perpetuity.
Loading ...
from issuers in both public and private sectors. It is not an e-tendering service and is entirely FREE.
As an Issuer, you can benefit from posting an unlimited number of Tender
Notices for FREE and reaching out to an online community of bidders.
The service also offers you a tool to track the interest of bidders to your
tenders 'live' online.
| Transport Tenders | Due Date |
Stories
Companies
| Company Name | Country | Industry |
| Consolidated Contractors Company | Overseas | Construction and Design |
| Saudi Binladin Group | Saudi Arabia | Construction and Design |
| Saudi Electricity Company | Saudi Arabia | Electric Utilities |
| Saudi Telecom | Saudi Arabia | Telecommunications Services |
| Emirates Telecommunications Corporation | UAE | Telecommunications Services |
| Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority | UAE | Electric Utilities |
| Al Azizia Panda United Company | Saudi Arabia | General Retailers |
| Hyundai Engineering and Construction Company - Saudi Arabia | Saudi Arabia | Construction and Design |
| National Commercial Bank | Saudi Arabia | Banking |
| Commercial International Bank (Egypt) | Egypt | Banking |
Projects
| Project Name | Country | Sector |
| Takreer - Ruwais Refinery Expansion | UAE | Oil and Gas |
| Al Futtaim Carillion - Marina Hotel (Yas Island) | UAE | Real Estate |
| Emirates Aluminium (EMAL) - Smelter Complex - Phase 1 | UAE | Industry |
| Abu Dhabi DOT - Abu Dhabi Metro | UAE | Infrastructure |
| SATORP - Jubail Refinery and Petrochemical Complex | Saudi Arabia | Oil and Gas |
| ENEC - Nuclear Power Plant | UAE | Power and Water |
| Dubai RTA - Dubai Metro | UAE | Infrastructure |
| Al Safwa - Jeddah Cement Plant | Saudi Arabia | Industry |
| Qatar Bahrain Causeway Foundation - Qatar Bahrain Causeway | Qatar | Infrastructure |
| Qatar Bahrain Causeway Foundation - Qatar Bahrain Causeway | Bahrain | Infrastructure |