Abu Dhabi: Cafes in the capital should adjust and adhere to a new law regarding tobacco smoke by January 31 of next year, the Department of Economic Development (DED) said on Saturday.
Ahmad Tarish Qubaisi, acting director of the Department of Trade Protection at Abu Dhabi Business, explained that the regulation prohibits the exercise of shisha smoking in places not authorised by the Department except in specific areas that lie 150 metres away from residential buildings and populated neighbourhoods, schools and mosques.
Opening hours for cafes have also been standardised and will start from 10am until 12 midnight. Cafes must not provide water pipe tobacco and tobacco products to those who are under the age of 18 years and prohibits their presence in places serving shisha.
Within the framework of the new rules conditions and controls pertaining to air pressure, air conditioning and the distances between smokers have also been set up and will also be implemented in hotel cafes which serve shisha.
The decision came during a joint coordinating meeting between the DED, the Health Authority Abu Dhabi (HAAD), the Department of Municipal Affairs and the Abu Dhabi Authority for Tourism and Culture.
