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Tobacco Products to be Tested and Labelled as per GCC Standards

Though the authority is already following general guidelines on tobacco products, the current standards are being revised to include pictorial and written warnings as recommended by the World Health Organisation.

All traders will then be enforced to comply with the new standards.

“We are in touch with all local companies and they are aware that they will soon have to make these changes before being able to sell their products in the UAE,” said Engineer Mohammed Badri, Deputy Director General for ESMA.

He, however, said that the standards would not be applicable until next year. “All parties involved are currently posting their comments on the new requirements which will then be finalised by the cabinet,” he said.

“We hope to complete this procedure by the end of this year. The standardisations will be in place by 2010,” added Badri.

On the occasion of World No Tobacco Day on May 31, the WHO asked the GCC countries to speed up implementation of pictorial warnings on tobacco products, including shisha.

The WHO’s requirements include graphic health warnings on at least 50 per cent of the principal display area of packaging on tobacco products.

Currently, all tobacco companies have to obtain a certificate from ESMA stating the nicotine and tar levels in the products before being able to market the products locally.

“We are carrying out tests on tobacco products to certify them but these are expensive since they are carried out abroad,” said Badri.

The tests are being carried out in accredited laboratories in the UK and Jordan, he said. “But these tests are expensive and time consuming, so we are pushing for laboratories to be established locally,” he said.

— asmaalizain@khaleejtimes.com

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