Dubai Beaches Contaminated Again

A section of public beach near a sailing club was closed yesterday to let inspectors find out what contaminated the water.

Beach users said the water was black and Mohammed Abdul Rahman Hassan, the head of marine environment and wildlife section at the municipality, confirmed that inspectors had noticed “decolourised” water in the area and closed the beach.

Water samples were collected from the stretch along the Dubai Offshore Sailing Club area. Test results will determine whether the beach can be reopened.

“We took fresh samples today and the results will be out in the coming days. This means that the stretch of the beach area will remain closed for at least the next two days,” Mr Hassan said.

The contaminant apparently was in discharges from a storm-water drainage pipe. Industrial waste dumped into the pipeline could be one of the causes, he said. The beach next to the sailing club was shut by municipal ­officials in September last year when sewage illegally dumped by tanker drivers into the city’s storm drains flowed into the sea…SOURCE

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Now, They Are Coming For Your Shisha

Puffing shisha (hubble bubble) in public parks could be a recreation option of the past soon.

The Dubai Municipality is discussing options to ban or regulate the use of shisha in public parks, officials told Khaleej Times on Wednesday.

The move, which is likely to be announced soon, is an extension of the smoking regulations announced by the civic body from time to time in the past.

Salem bin Mesmar, the Assistant-Director General of Health, Safety and Environment Control said, “the matter is being considered and discussions are on with the concerned authorities at the moment. The decision in this connection will be taken soon.”

Many people, mostly Arab nationals, puff the hubble bubble in public parks and beaches, particularly during the weekends, which is one among their favourite leisure options.

The same could be extended to shisha smoking in public beaches too.

Civic body officials have earlier said that the aim of introducing smoking regulations in public places is aimed at protecting people from the harmful effects of smoking.

Last month, Redha Hasan Salman, the Director of Public Health and Safety Department at the municipality had told Khaleej Times that there will be new and more stringent regulations against smoking in public places this year.

The official had pointed out that 25 per cent of the coffee shops in the emirate continue to serve shisha without abiding by the regulations.

Last year, the civic body had announced regulations on shisha smoking giving a one year grace period for the those operating the business to make necessary changes, which ended in December last year…SOURCE

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

The UAE’s War on Smoking Continues With New Improved Anti-Smoking Graphics

Cigarette packs to go graphic

03/04/2009 11:54 AM | By Nina Muslim, Staff Reporter

Dubai: Starting September, tobacco products in the UAE will carry a message and a warning that will be hard to ignore.

Graphics of blackened lungs and a haemorrhage-impacted brain, among others, will provide stark warnings about the dangers on cigarette packs sold in the country, following in the footsteps of the UK, Canada and Brazil.

Dr Wedad Al Maidoor, head of the National Tobacco Control Committee, told Gulf News the World Health Organisation (WHO) donated the pictures to the UAE to help with its tobacco control efforts.

“We have received donation of pictures from the WHO. Six months from now, they will be on cigarette packs,” she said.

Health officials hope the graphic warning, with its inherent shock value, will help deliver the message better and discourage people to smoke.

Previous revamp of the health warning on cigarette packs in September 2007 only required manufacturers to enlarge the warning text and to make the warning available in English and Arabic.

The graphic warning is one of the many steps the UAE, a signatory of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), is taking to clamp down on smoking. A federal anti-smoking daft law is expected to be passed into law soon by the Cabinet and President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan after the Federal National Council (FNC) approved it last month.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

FNC Goes to War Against Tobacco

The Federal National Council yesterday endorsed a far-reaching proposal to restrict smoking across the Emirates and control how tobacco products are marketed.

It would mean major changes to the habits and social lives of smokers and was welcomed by health care professionals.

Smoking would be prohibited in most closed public spaces, in cars with passengers aged under 12 and anywhere in hospitals, mosques, educational institutions and sport facilities.

Many details were left out. For example, authorities would be allowed to allocate areas within some public premises for smoking, but the rules for smoking rooms were left to an appendix to be released after the law is approved.

The Supreme Council, which is made up of the rulers of the seven emirates, must approve the ban.

FNC members yesterday suggested several changes to the proposal. The Minister of Health, Humaid al Qattami, agreed to most of them, including a ban on growing tobacco for commercial purposes…SOURCE

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!