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Al-Bireh Municipality launches campaign to fight the sale of smoke and tobacco to children under the age of 18
28 February 2018

The Municipality of Al-Bireh launched a campaign to combat the sale of smoke and tobacco to children under the age of 18, aimed at reducing the proportion of adolescents and children who smoke by visiting cafes and tobacco shops and committing them to smoking. To sign a bill requiring them not to sell and provide tobacco to children.

The governor of Ramallah and Al-Bireh Laila Ghannam announced the tightening of the ban on the sale of "cigarettes, arajil" and alcohol to those under the age of 18, saying that strict measures will be taken against all violators.

 Director of the Department of Health and Environment at the Municipality of Al-Bireh Iyad Darghameh said that this campaign was launched three weeks ago in cooperation with the Municipality of Al-Bireh, Ramallah Governorate and Beitunia Municipality. Each municipality supervises its area in the governorate by making the necessary arrangements. Cafes and tobacco shops (wholesale and retail), in order to raise awareness of the dangers of selling tobacco products and cigarettes to those under the age of 18, and to inform shop owners of the Anti-Smoking Law No. 25 of 2005.

He pointed out the mechanism of action to be followed by the campaign, which will continue as an awareness program on the dangers of child smoking, in cooperation with the Tourist Police, the Customs Authority, the Ministry of Health and Ramallah and Al-Bireh governorate.

Noting that the ads they will put on the shops and cafes may prove effective in influencing public opinion and show the damage caused by addiction to cigarettes, so that some smokers quit smoking.

Interview with the director of the Health and Environment Department in Al-Bireh Municipality.

 

 Anti - Smoking Law No. 25 of 2005.

The law aims to combat tobacco smoking in public places for the preservation of public health and the environment. The ministry, in cooperation with the competent authorities, works to combat smoking, support institutions that fight smoking, raise awareness of the dangers of smoking and control the conformity of local and imported tobacco to specifications and standards. As well as the establishment of specialized centers to assist smokers to quit smoking. The law also prohibits the smoking of any tobacco in the public place.

In the case of children, it is prohibited to smoke in schools and kindergartens. It also prohibits the sale, distribution, display or advertising of tobacco to persons under the age of 18 years. It is prohibited to import, sell or manufacture tobacco emulsifiers including sweets and toys manufactured on any A form of tobacco.

Penalties under this Law:

 Any person who contravenes the provisions of the articles of this law shall be punished by imprisonment for a period not exceeding one year and a fine not less than two hundred dinars and not exceeding one thousand dinars or the equivalent thereof in the legally circulated currency or one of these two penalties. The store where the crime has been seized, and all fines and money confiscated under this Law shall be transferred to the State Treasury.

Tobacco use is one of the four main risk factors that increase the risk or cause of most no communicable diseases. Tobacco accounts for nearly 6 million deaths worldwide every year (including more than 600,000 deaths due to exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke), and the number of tobacco deaths is expected to rise to 8 million by 2030.

In the latest study conducted by the Ministry of Health on the percentage of smoking in Palestine, it reached 22.5%. In proportion, the percentage of smokers in the West Bank is 26.9%, which is higher than in the sector where the percentage is 14.5%. The highest percentage of smokers in the governorates is Jenin.

As for the harmful effects of smoking cigarettes on children who smoke, they are exposed to many diseases at an early age including cancer, bronchitis, weakness in the body and decreased physical strength when he reaches the age of 30-40 years.