(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) The RAK Municipality has fined two cafés at a shopping centre in the emirate for allowing customers to smoke in a closed (covered) area.
According to a senior official at the municipality, the cafes flouted health and environment rules by allowing their customers to smoke in non-designated closed areas that exposed even the non-smokers at the cafe to passive smoking. This is a violation of the anti-tobacco federal law that strictly bans such a practice, he said.
Khalifa Mohammed Almaktoum, manager of the health and environment department at the municipality, said the smoking ban rule seeks to protect the public (non-smokers) from the harm that can be caused through smoking and passive smoking.
The law bans smoking in public transport and public places such as houses of worship, educational institutes, health and sports facilities. Issuing licences to coffee shops that serve any type of tobacco in residential buildings or neighborhoods is also prohibited.
"Shisha cafes in residential areas are also denied licenses and are only permitted to operate in specific locations that are at least 150 metres away from populated areas," he added.
Shisha and tobacco products should never be served to those below 18 years, he said. "Youngsters below 18 are also banned from sitting in areas where shisha is served." Dumping cigarette butts on the road or in public areas is also prohibited and can invite a fine of Dh500 as per the anti-tobacco federal law, Almaktoum warned.
The RAK Municipality had earlier received several complaints from the public to shift the shisha cafes from residential areas. "The big café close to my house poses a grave risk to my kids' health and must be shifted to another location," said Abu Saeed, an Emirati residing in the Julphar area.
"Suspending licences or shutting down erring cafes is the right way to put a stop to such a harmful practice that is not only injurious to public health and to the environment and the image of the city."
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