Director of Public Health at Ministry of Public Health,Dr Sheikh Mohamed bin Hamad al-Thani said, Taxes on tobacco products and aerated drinks will go up in Qatar very soon.,
He told,“There is a plan accepted by the Ministry of Finance to raise the taxes on tobacco to the same levels as in the neighbouring countries. Qatar is waiting for the right time to implement it and it can happen any time soon,” reported Gulf Times.
The best official was answering to an inquiry amid a public interview on Sunday to report the consequences of the Global Youth Tobacco Survey 2018.
“The final decision on the implementation will be taken by the Cabinet and the Ministry of Finance. They will decide on the timing and calculate the taxes depending on the prevailing circumstances,” he added.
The official also said that Shisha smoking also is becoming hard for the youth to access. “The present regulation in Qatar is that any shisha joint should be at least 1,000m away from schools. It is becoming hard to get a license for a shisha joint. As for the hotels, shisha smoking is available only in five-stars and they have to meet several conditions that MoPH has set up,” highlighted Sheikh Mohamed.
Another authority at MoPH said that the individuals who pitch tobacco items to individuals beneath the age of 18 should experience the legal procedure.
'Prior, fine was given on the spot to the individuals who disregard this standard yet it has changed at this point. The violators presently need to experience the legal framework and face legitimate activity. The hotline to advise about violators labors for 24 hours and it goes straightforwardly to the investigation group. Typically we have the group in the field," said Dr Amani Elkhatim-general wellbeing master Non Communicable Diseases Section at MoPH.
“We are working hard to lower the prevalence of smoking in the country. We are looking for a country where 90% of the population is not smoking. Once the tax is increased, it will become harder for the youth to get the products and with more inspections, the shops will be under steady surveillance,” added Elkhatim.
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