A draft law banning the sale of cigarettes to anyone under the age of 18 in UAE has been submitted to the Cabinet by the Ministry of Health. Sharjah has banned the sale of tobacco products to under-18s, but the ban will be extended nationwide if the legislation becomes law, the Gulf News reported Monday.
A recent study by the UAE University in Al Ain showed that nearly 42 percent of 17- and 18-year-olds in government schools are smokers, the paper said.
Bassam Abisaab, a Public Health Specialist in the Ministry of Health's Central Health Education Department was quoted by the daily as saying that "this is a high percentage, but not unusual when you compare it to statistics from developing and Eastern European countries." -- Albawaba.com
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