Smoking in an office or a closed place is prohibited, whether it is with a standard cigarette or an e-cigarette. On World Tobacco Day, May 31, the UAE’s Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP) issued a strong message encouraging smokers to quit the habit in an awareness message.
To remove user misconceptions that e-cigarettes or ‘vapes’ are not the same as other tobacco products, the Ministry clarified that e-cigarettes are governed by Federal Law No. 15 of 2009 on Tobacco Control. In addition, the Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology (ESMA) published a technical rule on e-cigarettes in 2019 called “Electronic Nicotine Products (Equivalents of Traditional Tobacco Products).”
If you or someone you know uses e-cigarettes, you should be aware of the UAE’s e-cigarette rules.
Penalties around e-cigarettes
The Federal Law No. 15 of 2009 Governing Tobacco Control, according to the official UAE government website, u.ae, prohibits and punishes:
- Tobacco products sold to minors under the age of 18.
- Smoking in enclosed public venues is prohibited.
- When a youngster under the age of 12 is present in a private vehicle, smoking is prohibited.
- Smoking is not permitted in places of worship, educational institutions (such as universities and schools), health care facilities, or sports facilities.
- The sale of sweets that look like cigarettes.
- Inside the country, automatic vending machines and devices are used to distribute tobacco.
- Advertisement for tobacco products.
Warning signs that e-cigarettes should contain
An electronic nicotine product supplied in the UAE should contain the following warning indicators, according to ESMA technical regulations:
- The health warning on the packaging should be placed immediately on the outer cover of the package, with no price tags, security features, wrappers, or stamps blocking it.
- Products that include nicotine (as some vaping liquids do not), must have explicit health warnings about nicotine’s hazardous effects, particularly on the health of pregnant and nursing women, as well as persons with certain chronic conditions.
- The product’s labels should clearly state that it can only be sold to people above the age of 18.
- E-cigarettes containing electronic liquid should have special warning signs put on them.
Help is available if you want to quit
Nicotine addiction is a significant problem that can be difficult to overcome. If you’re struggling with this addiction and need assistance, the UAE’s health authorities have opened smoking cessation clinics in a variety of places across the country to help people quit smoking.
