The government has adopted various measures to curb smoking in government offices, airports and other public places. It has put a ban on selling of cigarettes to underage boys and various government agencies have been strictly monitoring shops and supermarkets across the Kingdom to ensure compliance with the regulations. However, the anti-smoking measures of the government may suffer a setback as the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs seems to be at odds with some of the municipal councils for recommending a total ban on sale of cigarettes in their domain. The ministry stressed a gradual action on the sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products. It said a complete ban will lead to the creation of a black market especially by profit-making foreigners in other areas. Sources in the ministry maintain that the ban on selling cigarettes through this mechanism is illegal. They said to fight the menace is the work of the Anti-Smoking National Committee chaired by the Minister of Health and which has representatives from various government agencies. The sources said the committee works according to a well-defined strategy. A complete ban on sale of tobacco products, as recommended by some municipal councils, far exceeds to the powers of the committee. “Owing to this, the ministry has asked the municipal councils to act within their jurisdiction,” the sources said. The sources denied that the ministry wants to stifle the municipal councils or limit their powers. The ministry is not interested at all in the selling of the cigarettes but it wants to realize this goal through legal methods to avoid any negative consequences on the society,” the sources said. They said the ministry did not oppose the decision of some councils limiting the sale of tobacco products to industrial areas and outside the urban zone. The ministry has encouraged this decision, the sources said. They described the decision as a sound precautionary measure as it is meant to prevent children and teenagers from having access to cigarettes.
