To chew or not to chew: that is the question Gulf News posed to its readers.
Should spic-and-span Dubai, a city that shares the same image as Singapore, a country known for its strict cleanliness laws and which has relaxed a 12-year-old ban on chewing gum, follow suit?Chewing gum will no longer be a criminal offence in Singapore but it will only be sold by prescription.
Sugarless gum prescribed by doctors and dentists as having therapeutic and medicinal benefits will henceforth be sold in pharmacies.
Singapore outlawed the import, manufacture and sale of chewing gum in 1992, arguing that discarded lumps of gum were hard to clean from its tidy streets and that it stuck in train doors.
In Dubai, the vast majority of people who were questioned disagreed, saying they should be given the freedom to make that decision but those who litter should be punished and fined.
Celia Abaya, a Filipino beauty consultant, rejected the idea of banning gum. "It is quite an annoying habit and personally I have sit on it or had it stuck on my clothes or shoes so many times. But I don't think it is a good idea to ban the substance altogether."
Peter Freuding, a German, was all for limiting chewing gum sales. "I think it is a great idea. The habit is annoying and quite disgusting. I have visited Singapore before and it is a great place, quite clean and nice. Dubai is a lot like Singapore, so I think it should follow the same norm."
People should be allowed to chew gum if they are responsible, said Sakhi Mallya, an Indian high school student. "As a person who has had her share of sitting on gum or having it stuck in her hair, I feel authorities should punish and fine those who carelessly toss the stuff about."
"I think people should be given the choice to chew gum provided they do it with their mouths closed. It is actually disgusting to see people chewing with their mouths open," she shuddered.
Instead of curtailing the gum sales, authorities should introduce stiffer fines, said Shamsa Musabah, a UAE college student. "No matter what you do, you cannot stop people from doing what they want to do. Take paan's example: even though it is banned people are still seen chewing it and end up spitting on sideways."
From the civic authorities' point of view, the idea is good as it will save them a lot of headache, she added. "However, for the general populace, I don't think the idea is good as this means curtailing their basic freedom."
Khalid Abdullah, a local policeman, said limiting the sale of chewing gum is not a feasible idea. "I think we will be getting a subway in another couple of years but the idea of banning chewing gum because it can cause disruption in the systems is not a good one.
"Banning gum will never stop people from using it and will have a negative reaction as all things forbidden have an allure. The best deal is to educate people so that they become conscious."
Paresh Patel, a sales executive from UK, regularly uses chewing gum. "It is a perfectly fine habit as long as you throw it in the bin after use. To punish those who litter public places the authorities should introduce strict penalties." But educating masses will also help cut down on those who litter the city.
She abhors any curtailing of civil liberties, said Jane Johnson, an American homemaker. "Yes, I get annoyed when I see people sticking gum in public places but that doesn't mean that we should ban it. At the same time I don't like stepping on gum. I think the best bet is to fine offenders."
Mervat Abu Ani, a Lebanese housewife, doesn't think it is a good idea to create gums scarce. "People should have the freedom to chew gum. However, those who litter should be punished."
Rania Shamas, a Lebanese woman, did not have any problem banning chewing gum. "I think it is a bad habit and some of my outfits were ruined after I sat on gum. So I think the authorities should ban its use."
Razvah Cracict, a Romanian businessman, was all for banning gum. "In my country, sitting on some public places can be a nuisance because of gum. I think the authorities here should take Singapore's lead and sell gum in only select outlets."
CHEWY SNIPPETS
Taxing times: Buying chewing gum in Ireland has become costlier as the government added a new tax last year. By adding a tax of five to 10 euro cents to the price of a pack, the authorities are looking to mop up money to spend on "gum-buster" cleaning machines.
Stick it on celebs: Last month, Londoners were asked to stick their gum on the faces of celebrity posters. The campaign aimed to clear pavements of bits of old gum on the streets that cost councils in the UK around 150 million a year to scrape up.
Capital issue: Steve Norris, Tory candidate running for Mayor of London, has apparently declared death to anyone who drops chewing gum on London streets.
Gulf News
