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Jordan: Airport, malls to become smoke-free

Amman - Queen Alia International Airport (QAIA) and the country's malls will officially become smoke-free zones as of March 1, the Ministry 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, QAIA 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