Video of “Bahraini Doctors” to expand the scope of smoking and increase its strikes
The Shura Council will discuss during its session on Sunday morning the report of the Services Committee on a draft law amending Article (20) of Law No. (8) of 2009 regarding the fight against smoking and tobacco of all kinds accompanying Decree No. (49) for the year 2024, including herbal and non -herbal materials as an alternative to tobacco smoking.
The draft law aims – according to what was stated in the Memorandum of the Legislative and Legal Opinion – to combat the handling of herbal and non -herbal materials as an alternative method for smoking tobacco, and preventing risks and negative effects on the health and environmental situation within the Kingdom and resulting from that behavior, where the draft law is stressing the penalty mentioned in Article (20) on violating the provisions of Article (11) of Law No. (8) of 2009 regarding combating Smoking and tobacco of all kinds, which relate to the prohibition of importing, distributing or selling any herbal or non -herbal materials for the purpose of using it as an alternative method for smoking tobacco even if it does not contain nicotine.
The draft law consists – in addition to the preamble – from two articles, as the first article of it came by replacing the text of Article (20) of Law No. (8) of 2009 regarding the fight against smoking and tobacco of all kinds, as the nature and amount of the punishment contained in violating Article (11) of the law, and its individuals with a specific clause number (5) in Article (20) of the same law so that the punishment is imprisonment for a period not exceeding one year and a fine of one thousand A dinar, and does not exceed one hundred thousand dinars, instead of the penalty of a fine of no less than one thousand dinars, and not exceeding three thousand dinars.
In addition, the draft law united the subordinate punishment that arises in the event of conviction, as the court permitted to order the closure of the store for a period not exceeding three months or confiscating the materials used.
For its part, the Ministry of Health agreed with what was stated in the draft law and with its provisions and the desired goals in strengthening the efforts of the Kingdom of Bahrain in tobacco control, limiting its negative effects on public health, and preserving the environment due to the damages and negative effects of these materials on the health of citizens and residents.
She emphasized that the penalty for violating the provisions of Article (11) of the law subject to amendment constitutes a deterrent to everyone who imports, distributes, or sells any herbal or non -herbal materials for the purpose of using them as an alternative method for smoking tobacco.
She indicated that the National Committee for Combating Smoking and Tobacco of all kinds and products has been formed, which is concerned with preparing studies and statistics to measure the size of the problem of tobacco use and its products and the extent of its spread among different groups of society, in addition to unifying the inspection teams empowered to make inspection visits to monitor the cases of violations.
