'If you want to smoke, we will make it difficult for you' seems to be motto the UAE is pursuing when it comes to making the country smoke-free. And it is proving to be a game-changer in helping people quit or at least reduce smoking.
In 2016, the National Tobacco Control Committee of the UAE made a proposal to amend the Federal Tobacco Control Law and its bylaws to make public spaces 100 per cent smoke-free. And when the country imposed a ban on smoking in public places - including in all occupied buildings like offices, restaurants, cafes, and lifts - habitual smokers went into a tizzy.
Pakistani expat Sajjad Ahmed, 38, was one among them. A chain smoker until two years ago, he was used to taking several breaks at work to get his tobacco fix. When he is out with family during weekends, he would disappear into quiet corners to have a quick smoke.
But this media professional and a father of two says everything changed when his employer prohibited smoking within the office premises.
"It became mandatory for smokers to step out of the office to be able to smoke. That became cumbersome and time-consuming and I slowly lost interest," Ahmed told Khaleej Times.
"Initially, there used to be a smoking cubicle. But there was no fun in smoking inside a tiny cabin. When that was also dismantled in our office, I had no choice but to avoid smoking while at work."
Ahmed said his transition from a chain smoker to a non-smoker was also triggered by his two kids, aged seven and four. "I did not want my kids to see me smoking. I was very particular about not setting a bad example for them," said Ahmed. But the tobacco temptation was so strong that he would sneak out from home to take a few puffs.
"It was a long struggle. But, finally, I could quit smoking. In the last one and a half years, I have hardly smoked except on some rare occasions when I gave in to peer pressure. When it is difficult to smoke, it is easier to quit."
Scores of smokers that Khaleej Times spoke to said their inability to smoke - as and when they want to - has helped them curb smoking.
This article has been adapted from its original source.
