UAE''s Anti-smoking Campaigner Defends Move to Raise Cost of Cigarettes

Source from:  7 Days (ae)  05/27/2013

The UAE'S leading anti-smoking campaigner, Dr Wedad Al Maidoor, has dismissed claims that a 100 per cent increase in tobacco tax would do little to encourage smokers to kick the habit.

A discussion paper put together at a meeting convened by a Dubai public relations company concluded that an overnight price hike would result in a growth in tobacco smuggling.

The panel also concluded that there was no evidence to suggest a price rise would "significantly affect consumption levels or smoking propensity". Instead it recommended a phased five-year increase in tax.

The panel included Major Dr Khalid Al Hassan, head of the anti-forgery section of the Economic Crime Department of Dubai Police.

He said: "The UAE is a country where the majority of the population has a high income, so they don't care about a price increase. The price of cigarettes is not expensive when compared to other areas of the world.

"A price increase may affect some nationalities with a low income, but UAE locals and expatriates don't care.

I don't think tax would be the solution to the problem."

However, anti-smoking tsar Al Maidoor hit out at the panel's findings, saying: "It has been proved scientifically that when you raise the taxation, the tobacco consumption decreases.

"The tobacco companies and the investors in tobacco will market that if we increase taxation, illicit tobacco will increase. This is nonsense. It has also been proved that if the price increases, youth and poor people cannot afford it so they give up. No matter how rich people are, this is not related to tobacco. They will claim that people are very rich here so no matter how much you increase the taxation it will not affect them. It will affect them.

"Life is changing. Life is more expensive. People spend more and more on their lives. They will say 'why do we spend more on this?' and will save the money for something much better."

Al Maidoor said the matter is currently with the Ministry of Finance and will be brought in by the GCC Council.

She added: "It will happen, but it will take a little bit of time."

When taxation is increased, the proceeds will be spent on treatment and education.

Warnings on packets, smoke-free areas, an increase in services to help smokers quit and banning all tobacco advertising are other World Health Organisation-recommended measures being looked at in the GCC.

Al Maidoor said: "Unfortunately we are facing a very big enemy called the tobacco industry, in the GCC especially. They have experience in other countries so they know what to say."

The panel, organised by Total Communications, which has a tobacco company as a client, also included Jonathan Davidson, chairman of the British Business Group; Omar Obeidat, partner and head of intellectual property at law firm Al Tamimi & Co; and Dr Bruce Budd, associate professor of the College of Business at Al Faisal University in Riyadh. Enditem