Perhaps you have seen any workers take out e-cigarettes in the office and puff away because they believe anti-smoking laws do not cover vaping. Speaking to this publication, a legal advisor has come out in the open to state that the practice, especially in some offices has become rampant, and is unlawful.
Apart from other Policies smoking including vaping is strictly prohibited within all enclosed spaces that belong to the UAE public places and workplaces in accordance to the UAE federal law on tobacco control this stretches to areas that are usually shared such as lobbies and parking zones as informed by Mahmoud Kreidie, a lawyer of Ahmad Bin Hezeem and Associates LLP.
“Whenever it is allowed to accommodate smoking, this has to be done in certain limited areas which meet specific conditions as regards their containment and airing prescribed by the competent authorities.”
Minor infringements attract fines of Dh 500 right ‘on the spot,’ while the drastic penalties which may entail severe consequences may include serious or subsequent offences.
Though the majority of offices are in the USA have implemented no-smoking policies e- cigarettes and vaping devices-products are still common.
Another interviewed females said she smokes as a UAE resident although she did not want to be identified and saw herself smoking inside her office. They ignorantly concluded: “It’s just become a habit at this point,”, remarking this from the comfort of her job at a leading firm in Dubai as an accountant.
“I was smoking about fifteen cigarettes per day and migrating to vaping was a good choice indeed Having no time to step outside all the time, I now vape occasionally, usually in my own office when others are not around I do not bother anyone I never notice the smell clinging to the furniture or getting into the air, as it happens with regular cigarettes.”
IT specialist elucidated that he also smoke and often he smokes in his office space. “Looking at my partners I don’t see anything wrong with it as long as I don’t inconvenience them. ”
Peers endure the behaviour thinking that it is the law. Fatima, a 32 year old marketing executive, said:
“You never know if a person has asthma or other related lung problems that may worsen because of the second-hand smoking; it is inconceivable and violates the upright Conduct Code that is expected from every one of us.”
Cigarettes as well as electronic cigarettes are prohibited under an anti-smoking campaign, say authorities. Therefore, if employees are prohibited from smoking cigarettes in their places of work, they cannot vape as well.
Tobacco-free offices
Unlike the regular cigarettes, e-cigarettes and vaping do not result in specific smells but majority of the company facilities do not allow the use of cigarettes on their premises due to fire and health hazards regulations.
In June, MoHAP urged firms that adopted ‘tobacco-free’ policies to punish employees violating their anti-smoking ordinances.
“The MoHAP has provided a guideline encouraging private establishments to be tobacco-free and enforce it, and the steps as to how it can be done,” Kreidie described. This means that “MoHAP requires that companies with such policies attempt to discipline the violator of smoking prohibitions in the workplace starting with a verbal warning followed by a written notice of the violation.”
In the professional performance policy, the ministry has recommended that the tobacco-free policy be rolled out and that action procedures be made concise and written.
“These are choosing and training the management and staff, generating awareness among employees, offering smoking termination, publicizing the procedure among all the employees, and explaining the consequences of non-compliance with the company’s policy. The smoking policy should include the posting of no smoking signs at the entrance and all over the facility with no exemption at all for cars or the mainly used outdoor areas.”
This year the health authorities in the UAE raised awareness against Electronic Smoking Products marketing as a safer substitute to traditional cigarettes. Mohap rebutted that there is no scientific backing behind these declarations.