“Anonymous” cigarettes raise smoking rates between adolescents and youth

The markets are witnessing the proliferation of unknown tobacco varieties, which are sold at half the price, which constitutes a major challenge to the national economy. Dozens of types of traditional and electronic cigarettes are available in all known species, but they do not carry digital stamps that are installed on tobacco products before they are supplied to local markets, amid a noticeable rise in tobacco consumption, and the number of smokers of teenagers and youth increases.

Doctors warned against increasing the number of smokers among young people, due to the ease of obtaining tobacco products, and spreading it through social media at affordable prices.

In detail, “Emirates Today” monitored anonymous accounts that publish advertisements on social media about selling smoking materials and traditional and electronic cigarettes at low prices, in addition to the free delivery service for products.

According to the statistics of the “global tobacco atlas” concerned with collecting documented information about tobacco abuse in the world, the number of adult smokers (more than 15 years) in the UAE reached 988 thousand and 683 smokers (men 929 thousand and 595 adults, and females 57 thousand and 772 smokers) in 2022.

The prevalence of smoking among adults in the UAE was 11.9%, in the same period (15.5% of men and 2.5% of women).

The spread of smoking among those who are younger (from 10 to 14 years) reached 7.1% of their total number (10.6% of males and 3.7% of girls).

The decision of the Health and Environmental Affairs Committee in the Federal National Council, the family doctor, Dr. Sidra Rashid Al -Mansouri, attributed the first reason for the spread of smoking among adolescents and youth, to the wrong concept that smoking gives the smoker the status of “development and modernity”, noting the need to confront this phenomenon in various ways that address the minds and interests of this group, including publishing pictures of the effect of smoking in the skin and beauty, both in social media or books The study, to educate females of the danger of smoking, and do a similar job with young people, by reviewing the effects of smoking in the appearance of the body and masculinity, in addition to educating families about the methods of defining their children from childhood about the damage and risks of smoking.

She stressed the necessity of confronting the anonymous tobackers through social media, by activating the smart shopping to control them and thickening their punishment.

The consultant of lung diseases, Dr. Imad Al -Namnim, stressed that permanent or intermittent smoking, and the vaporization of liquid nicotine lead to several health risks. He explained that electronic smoking, which is based on the vaporization of liquid nicotine, is a major challenge to not knowing its full effects on health, despite its association with lung infection, noting that “some electronic smoking fluids contain very high levels of nicotine, which makes them because of addiction.”

He continued that the ease of dealing with the electronic cigarette and obtaining a quick jet from it is one of the things that facilitates its consumption and makes it higher than the consumption of its traditional counterpart, and it has an increase in the number of smokers.

The Consultant of Oncology, Dr. Hassan Jaafar, pointed out that there is an increase in the numbers of smokers, as a result of falling into what he described as “electronic cigarette trap”, noting that the presence of offers on the prices of smoking tools facilitates children and adolescents to go through the experience.

He stressed the necessity of following families to their children and educating them since childhood of the great harm that affects the health and bodies of smokers. He said that nicotine is the main substance in regular and electronic cigarettes, and it is severely caused by addiction, as it stimulates the strong desire to smoke, warning that smoking is the cause of the death of half of the smokers.

He added that more than 80% of lung cancer deaths are caused by direct smoking, which also causes mouth, throat, esophagus, stomach, and other cancers. He explained that smoking in childhood and adolescence leads to poor lung growth, coughing and symptoms related to asthma, hoarseness and shortness of breath. It also leads to cardiovascular diseases, such as heart attacks and death, stroke, arterial obstruction, gangrene and sexual impotence, increases the risk of miscarriage, low weight of the newborn, premature birth, fetus death, and osteoporosis (osteoporosis in women).

The lawyer, Hadiya Hammad, said that Federal Law No. (15) of 2009 regarding tobacco control prohibits the offer or sale of tobacco products except in the places designated for that, and licensed by the competent authority. The executive regulations of this law define the controls of displaying and selling tobacco products, as tobacco has standard specifications and conditions approved by the state, and anyone who violates this is punished with imprisonment for a period of no less than a year and a fine of no less than 100 thousand dirhams and not exceeding one million dirhams, or with one of these two penalties. She added that in the event of return, the penalty shall be imprisonment for a period of no less than two years and a fine of no less than one million dirhams.

Lawyer Salem Obaid Al -Naqbi stated that the process of trading tobacco and its products within the UAE is subject to specific controls, including to write on each package of tobacco or its products expressions, photos and warning data clearly and varied, and no natural or moral person may advertise, advertising, promotion or care for any of the tobacco products by any means aimed at encouraging tobacco use. Also, it is not permissible to print or publish the advertisement that aims to encourage tobacco abuse, and tobacco products may not be a means of advertising another product.

He added that «smoking is usually negative harmful to health, except that the person who chose to smoke rights must be taken into account, including not to become a victim of adulterated producer, in addition to financial losses, there are health risks that surround the presence of unknown and originated cigarettes, because they are not subject to any approved laboratory tests, and do not adhere to the Emirati standard specifications, nor the health warning systems applied in the country, which means increasing the potential risks on Public health, pointing to the need to eliminate this phenomenon, and impose large fines on the seller and the buyer.

Lawyer Salem Saeed Al -Haqi stated that the laws that regulate tobacco products did not legislate in a penalty for tobacco buyers and cigarettes unknown, on the basis of the text of Article 144 of the Unified Customs Law No. 85 of 2007, as criminal responsibility in the crime is required to provide intent. In determining the responsibility, the criminal texts in force, as it is considered a penalty responsible in particular, the original actors, the partners in the crime, the intervention, the instigators and the holders, the owners of the means of transportation used and their drivers and their assistants whose relationship is proven, owners or tenants of shops and places in which they were deposited, or the beneficiaries of them who prove their knowledge of their presence in their shops and places. In this case, an unknown tobacco buyer is the source such as the incite or the partner.

He pointed to the possibility of reporting these practices through the system of informants of violations and tax evasion (sergeant), a new system for receiving and processing communications, with the aim of reporting natural or legal persons who evade taxes, or do fraud or other tax violations.

10 billion dirhams the economic cost of smoking

Tobacco abuse is still a challenge in the Emirates, according to the “global tobacco atlas”, which provides complete statistics on damage, and other shocking facts about smoking.

The number of people who die from smoking in the UAE annually reached 1693 people, with 8.5% of the total deaths (10.2% among men, and 3.9% among women).

The economic cost of smoking and tobacco use in the Emirates annually reached 10 billion, 946 thousand and 488 dirhams.

This includes direct costs related to health care expenses, and indirect costs related to low productivity and premature death.

It is noteworthy that the “global tobacco Atlas” is concerned with collecting documented information about tobacco abuse in the world.

• 80 %of lung cancer deaths are caused by direct smoking.

• 11.9 % of adults, 7.1 % of adolescents smoke, demands to activate the “secret shopper” and “sergeant”, and to increase the penalties for distributors.