Bahrain: New Cigarette Packets Clamp Begins

Source from:  Gulf Daily News  01/10/2013

HEALTH inspectors will be out in force today across the country to ensure shops stop selling cigarette packets without graphic health warnings.

Retailers in Bahrain were given a five-month deadline to dispose of their old stocks and start selling the packets with graphic images illustrating the effects of smoking.

It comes after GCC governments approved unified regulations to encourage people to kick the habit.

No new shipments of tobacco products have been allowed into the country without inspections by the authorities concerned since August 9.

GCC anti-tobacco committee member Dr Maha Mokla said the inspectors will check cold stores, supermarkets and restaurants, where they will confiscate any old stocks, which do not have the graphic warnings.

"Our teams will be inspecting cold stores and supermarkets in different areas to check whether any of these establishments are still selling old stock of cigarette packets," she said.

"The retailers will be first warned and the old stock will be confiscated by us."

The GDN had reported that tobacco companies were required to display graphic warnings on all cigarette packets in Bahrain and other Gulf countries about the dangers of smoking.

Some of them include horrific images of smoking hazards, such as the deterioration of organs and harmful effects on pregnant women, which will also be placed on sheesha tobacco packets.

Others include flaming skull at the end of a cigarette symbolising early death and burning fingers with a message, which says that smoking increases the risk of more than 25 diseases.

A warning that smoking causes lung cancer and heart diseases is also printed on the front of the packet in both Arabic and English.

Dr Al Mokla said it would be illegal for any retailer in Bahrain to sell the old packets from today onwards.

"We would also like to make it clear that there will be no extension of the set deadline and there will be no imports allowed into the country that do not abide by the rules," she said.

Cold stores would be one of the main target of health inspectors as part of their plan to drive out the old stocks from the market, she added.

The Gulf Standardisation Organisation took five years to reach a consensus on implementing the unified regulation for the import of tobacco products into the region related to Labelling of Tobacco Product Packages.

In 2009, an anti-smoking law was ratified by His Majesty King Hamad which banned smoking in indoor public places, including restaurants, cafes, hotels and hair salons, and on public transport and in private cars - where there are children.

It further forbids planting, manufacturing or reprocessing of tobacco in Bahrain as well as importing chewable tobacco-based products and other tobacco-based substances unlicensed by the health ministry.

The GDN reported on Saturday that the Health Ministry's anti-smoking committee registered a total of 116 complaints last year against hotels, restaurants and shops for breaching the anti-smoking law.

Some of the public and private facilities have been referred to the Public Prosecution. Enditem