Qatar is committed to building a tobacco-free future
New York, The Gulf Observer: Qatari Minister of Public Health H.E. Dr. Hanan Mohammed Al Kuwari reiterated Qatar’s commitment to building a tobacco-free future, as well as the country’s remarkable achievements in tobacco control in light of its commitment to protecting the health and well-being of its citizens.
Addressing the meeting of the fifth anniversary of the Tobacco-Free Financing Pledge at the United Nations, which was held yesterday evening on the sidelines of the 2023 UN General Assembly in New York, with the main theme ” There’s no room for tobacco in a Net Zero world’, Her Excellency outlined Qatar’s achievements in tobacco control.
Her Excellency highlighted a number of milestones made by the State of Qatar in the field of tobacco control, most notably the significant reduction in tobacco use, as the percentage of youth using any tobacco products dropped from 20 percent in 2004 to 12.1 percent in 2018, aligning perfectly with the national target of a 5 percent reduction in smoking prevalence by the end of 2022, as stipulated in the second national health strategy to reduce smoking prevalence by 5 per cent by the end of 2022, reflecting the country’s commitment to a more healthy and tobacco-free world.
Her Excellency said: “One of the main achievements in this regard is the establishment of a robust legal framework, as the State of Qatar endorsed and implemented the Tobacco Law approved in 2016 in line with the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. This law prohibits tobacco agriculture and manufacturing within Qatar while allowing only the importation of traditional products. It also restricts tobacco-related businesses and trade, imposing a minimum distance requirement of 1000 meters from schools. Furthermore, we have banned smoking in closed public places and mandated graphic health warnings on tobacco packages.”
HE Dr. Hanan Mohammed Al Kuwari added: “Work has also been done to reduce the demand for tobacco through price increases, as the State of Qatar has established a comprehensive tobacco product taxation model, including customs and excise taxes. This resulted in a 100 percent increase in the price of all tobacco products. Additionally, we implemented tax stamps to enhance indirect tobacco product taxation and support tracking and tracing of tobacco products.”
Her Excellency stressed the country’s interest in increasing awareness and behavior change, for which a national health awareness campaign has been launched targeting at-risk groups such as youth and workers.
