Tag: Qatar

  • Smoking and Vaping Banned at World Cup

    Smoking and Vaping Banned at World Cup

    Photo: GIROMIN Studio

    In line with the FIFA Event Policy for Tobacco and the World Health Organization’s recommendations for mega-sporting events, Qatar has banned smoking and vaping in stadiums during the FIFA football World Cup scheduled for Nov. 30–Dec. 18.

    The ban on vaping appears redundant as Qatar already bans the import, sale and purchase of e-cigarettes. Violators risk fines of up to QAR10,000 ($2,747) or up to three months in prison.

    Qatar plans to deploy 80 tobacco inspectors to support FIFA volunteers and security staff in enforcing the restrictions.

    The country will be assigning a team of 80 tobacco inspectors to support security staff in enforcing the smoking restrictions during the World Cup.

    “Qatar has been a frontrunner in tobacco control in the region,” said Kholoud Ateeq K M Al-Motawaa, head of noncommunicable disease for Qatar’s Ministry of Public Health, in a statement. “For the FIFA World Cup, tobacco control measures have been developed for inside and outside stadiums, especially in public places, while tobacco-free environments in fan zones will be rigorously enforced where supporters without tickets can watch games on large screens surrounded by smoke-free air.”

    In an overview of World Cup restrictions prepared for American soccer fans, smokeless tobacco manufacturer Nicokick noted that, unlike e-cigarettes, nicotine pouches are legal in Qatar.

  • Qatar Bans Shisha in Restaurants and Cafes

    Qatar Bans Shisha in Restaurants and Cafes

    Photo: 9parusnikov

    Qatar’s Ministry of Commerce & Industry has prohibited consumption of hookah tobacco in all restaurants and cafes operating in the country until further notice, reports The Peninsula.

    The decision aims to prevent the spread of coronavirus infections.

    The ministry said violators would be held accountable and face legal action. It urged all companies and individuals to follow preventive measures to ensure their safety and that of the community.

  • Tobacco study in Qatar

    Tobacco study in Qatar

    Hamad Medical Corporation’s (HMC) Tobacco Control Center has begun the fieldwork for a study that aims to examine knowledge, attitudes and practices related to tobacco use in Qatar, according to a story in The Gulf Times.

    The study, which is thought to be the most comprehensive investigation of its type in the country, will seek input from Qatari citizens and non-Qatari residents, smokers and non-smokers, males and females.

    Employees of ministries, government organizations, media outlets, including Al Jazeera and Qatar TV, healthcare workers, and university students are among those being targeted by researchers.

    Dr. Ahmad al-Mulla, head of the HMC Tobacco Control Center, said the study had been endorsed by HMC’s Medical Research Center.

    He said the main goal of the study was to gather data on the prevalence of smoking and tobacco use among those aged 18 and above, and information on the consumption rates of various tobacco products and paraphernalia, including cigarettes, shisha, sweika (chewing tobacco), pipes, cigars, electronic cigarettes, and electronic shisha.

    Researchers will seek input from those who have tried to quit smoking, and will investigate which quit methods are most effective.

    The study will address also the relationship between tobacco use and tobacco product advertisements.

    Dr al-Mulla said a number of related topics, including opinions on second-hand smoke and the impact of a recent rise in prices of tobacco products would be examined also.

    The results of the study, which is expected to involve as many as 6,000 participants, will be released later this year and will be used to inform government policies and tobacco control public health initiatives.

  • Tax hike in Qatar

    Tax hike in Qatar

    The retail prices of tobacco products and sugary drinks have increased in Qatar following the imposition of new excise taxes, according to a story in The Gulf Times.

    The new excise tax rates, which came into effect on Tuesday, have been set at 100 percent for tobacco and energy drinks, and at 50 percent for carbonated drinks.

    A pack of Marlboro cigarettes that used to sell for QR11 now costs QR22, while the price for a pack of Pall Mall increased from QR5 to QR10, according to the Times citing an official price matrix.

    A Doha-based store owner was said to have told the Times that most of his customers who are smokers had been complaining about the high prices, but that there was nothing that could be done. “These are new prices sanctioned by the government and there is nothing we could do but to comply with the new policy,” he said.

    In a general awareness workshop, the Tax Department had previously defined excise tax as ‘a form of indirect tax levied on specific goods that are deemed harmful to human health or the environment’. ‘The intent of excise tax is to reduce consumption of such goods, while also raising revenues for the government that can be spent on public services,’ it said.

  • Qatar has high smoking rate

    Qatar has high smoking rate

    Hamad Medical Corporation’s (HMC) new Tobacco Control Center in Qatar has been officially inaugurated by the Minister of Public Health Dr. Hanan Mohamed al-Kuwari, according to a story in The Gulf Times.
    During the inauguration, al-Kuwari said the new facility would play an important role in the fight ‘to reduce increasing levels of smoking in the community and the long-term harmful effects of smoking’.
    “Nothing is more important for the prevention of several cancers and more than 50 other diseases than eliminating the use of tobacco products,” al-Kuwari said.
    “The new HMC Tobacco Control Center reinforces our commitment to implementing effective and long-lasting strategies for reducing tobacco use and providing accessible treatment options for people who want to stop smoking. This is especially important in Qatar, where we are seeing more young people smoking and using tobacco products.
    “Smoking has been shown to harm nearly every organ of the body and science shows that most adult smokers start smoking during adolescence.”
    Meanwhile, Dr. Ahmad al-Mulla, head of the center said that about 37 percent of the country’s population aged 15 years and older reported that they currently smoked tobacco. It was therefore important that efforts were redoubled to reduce levels of smoking in the community.