Fines for smoking in the Malls!
By Mandilulur •
Smokers fined QR50,000
The Peninsula
Doha: The Supreme Council for health (SCH) has launched recently a widespread campaign against smoking in the shopping malls across the country by deploying a team of health inspectors. The team is entrusted with making field visits to the shopping malls in the morning and evening to book violations and fine violators.
The team has conducted 51 field visits since it began its work two weeks ago, during which the team has booked 148 violations and collected QR50,000 fines, said Assistant Secretary General for Medical Affairs at the SCH, Dr Saleh Al Marri.
Hooray!
Mandi
Oryx, a kid having the odd sweet or burger is a wee bit different than having them exposed to toxic cigarette smoke (2nd hand smoke is actually more harmful).
I hate how spineless cafe workers are. If I am in a non-smoking cafe and there is someone smoking I do believe I shouldnt have to go and ask them to stop. I asked an employee of Starbucks to tell the men 2 tables down to stop smoking as we had our kids with us and she said "No, I cant. You go tell them".
even if the people don't smoke inside they still stand right outside the door and smoke. so when you walk in you are walking into a huge cloud of nicotine. it's disgusting.
i still don't understand how people in 2010 can still put a cancer stick in their mouth.
and it's not just the locals who do it. i've seen numerous nationalities do it. smoking is what seems to bring people of all nationalities together.
Man I would love to have this job!! wish I was the smoke police!! I would love love love to fine every person I see that sits and smokes right under the "no smoking" sign and believe they are above the law!!! I wonder if this law would every really be implemented. Maybe i should volunteer for the job!!
Do you ever give your kids sweets? McDonalds? etc
"it good that smoking is ban inside the malls .. but you get one huge dose while entering or leaving mall .. what about that ?"
I'm not a smoker anymore, but people like you really piss me off. It's a tiny bit of smoke when you enter a mall, tiny compared to the amount of CO and other nasties produced by traffic.
You're one of those that does that annoying false cough when you walk by a smoker I presume? and yet will sit outside and enjoy a BBQ on a lovely spring day? *hint* BBQ'd food contains carcinogens.
If it bothers you so much then hold your breath when you enter or leave a mall.
Now smoking laws inside the malls just need to be banned, or so as they have in the costa by megamart, have a smoking section in cafe's with extractors.
Locals are generally exempt from most laws, or so it seems.
Either that or they think the Emir and his Emiri Decrees about smoking, safe driving, littering, etc are a joke to be ignored.
And I thought Qataris respected their Emir?
Reminding me in one of the locals i saw in landmark while i entered with my friend to have lunch.
he was sitting smoking and the sign in front of him "no smoking" lolzz i wish i could take a picture but then i will be the criminal :(
Are locals generally exempt from the non smoking laws?
How I wish this MUST be pursued. Why? I & my friend from Bahrain visited Villagio Mall yesterday. There is one coffee shop along Gondola Ride who has this group of guys in very white tobe as customers... They all sitted and have their group chat with coffee and most of them are having cigarette as well. We walked again in the other side maybe after 30mins and have cross one bridge and surprisingly, some are still taking their cigarettes...
FOR SURE THIS IS IMPLEMENTED ONLY FOR EXPATRIATES. I'll try to visit other malls tomorrow and we will see. Hottest spot for me tomorrow is City Center. For sure there are a lot there enjoying their cigar (young, yuppies and old). Wish I was wrong...
it's a big WISH for a wide campaign from SCH.
more of good lucks ahead to all...
I've got 2 kids under 18 months and I'm forever asking people to stop smoking next to them. Drives me insane! They just look at you like you've asked them to stop breathing!
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lol Deede, with two kids under 5, cafes are not somewhere i hang out.
smokers fined; inspector left, smoker lit again
Just visit the 2 cafe' in city center near the cinema & chilis, lots of idiot smokers gathering over there.. for sure they can collect 50k in just 1 day for each cafe'!
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just been to starbucks villagio and nothing change ... nearly everybody smokes. Its awful and horrible ...
those health inspectors should be in starbucks all the time and those coffee shops beside the cinema in city center, there are lots of men smoking there even if there is a no smoking sign just beside their seat or just in front of their faces!!!!
and establishments should share the fine with the smoker also.
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very glad to read this. i have noticed so many people smoking in the malls. many directly in front of the no smoking signs. every single offender was in dishdasha! so if they feel they are above the laws, then i say dish dat fine out to them every time. i even reported to a coffee cafe manager that someone was smoking in his cafe, near to where my baby girl was sitting, and he did nothing, i assume too afraid.
@Bleu: smoking areas is private areas because it is just for the smokers!
Lets kill all the smokers for a smoke free Qatar!
_____________________________________________________
I dream things that never were; and I say, "Why not?"
Great news... hurray Supreme Council for health...
goood keep it up .. but i don't understand how cafe's are outside of mall ??? by which logic they allow to smoke inside ...
it good that smoking is ban inside the malls .. but you get one huge dose while entering or leaving mall .. what about that ?
and smokers can freely smoke their breath to the limit.
If the authority is serious in catching violators one hint is the Comfort Rooms(CR) at City Centers particularly at the 3rd and 4th floors (if I am not mistaken) and CR at the Cinema areas where smokers do not mind at all people (children and oldies)'s health.
"Work with dignity. Love with honesty. Live holy."
tats the smoking area... logically.
ANG CHAKA
Q: Is an area designated to smokers a "public area" or a "private area"?
If it's a "public area", then it's illegal to smoke there.
If it's private, then you either need a membership or your own key to sit there.
I agree with to put designated areas for smokers...unfortunately, it's the main entrance of malls as you see, there are astrays beside the chairs.
ANG CHAKA
The individuals who are smoking should definitely get fined, and the establishment should get cited for not having their employees enforce the law by telling patrons to put out their cigs in their establishment (though let's be honest: is a Filipina or Sri Lankan really going to tell some guy in a thobe to put it out or leave?).
"I wish I could drink like a lady. I can take one or two at the most. Three and I'm under the table. Four and I'm under the host"
-- Dorothy Parker
But are they fining the smokers or the establishments they're smoking at? They used to fine starbucks when people smoked outside.
A simple point-and-shoot camera/camera-phone is a good device to help these authorities catch (and show proof) of who the culprits (SMOKERS) are! ;)
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Off with their heads!
It's about time. Nadt--jokingly I think you must be blind! Go to any mall to any coffee place and look under the NO SMOKING signs. There you will find many many people puffing away, as if they can't read.
Let everybody have a fair share of this as as most smokers in the malls apparently are from certain group of people especially in the coffee outlets, eateries and cinemas.
Finally,,, I hope they put the mall smokers into jail for a week, too.
The people who respect the law are still smoking at the main entrance, which is more inappropriate for the visitors allergic to the smoke smell and children, as they don’t know where else to smoke otherwise..
Ideally to welcome all kind of workers and visitors, they should have smoking designate areas with proper smoke sucking fans and or smoke/smell neutralizers.
Then people who cannot live without smoking should be free to exercise the desire without bothering the non-smokers and leave the environment healthy as well
I think this should be a fair deal for all and most of us should agree on this....
Peace to all
it's shiesha/smoking haven for people like me.
But smoking inside the malls?...common sense is not common anymore...hehehehe
I would sit someone in Starbuck's in Villaggio. You'd collect QR50,000 in fines in one day!!
:: A pet is for life and not just for Christmas ::
www.qaws.org
great stuff, and about time....City Centre is terrible for locals smoking in the coffee shops despite the non-smoking signs up everywhere....
It's about time
Apart from the odd person here and there, i havent come across a lot of people that smoke in malls, but its a good initiative.
I don't bother Non smokers.
As for smoking being a Nonsense habit, Oh perfect human being Deal 4 wheel, forgive us mere mortals for our imperfections.
what makes common sense not to smoke in a mall... huh!
...Life would become Dull if there were no such Difficulties...
I am a heavy smoker but never smoked inside a mall. It's just common sense.
Great News for expatriates "smokers".
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The article didn't say but if I divide 50,000 by 148 I come up with about 337 QR.
Mandi
...Life would become Dull if there were no such Difficulties...