Dubai is famous for its amazing towers and shiny malls, with a booming economy that is based on hospitality industry and of course limited petroleum exports. Even though Dubai produces about a quarter million oil barrels daily, the country total revenue consists of only three percent from oil. The major industries that account for most of its income include tourism, real estate, logistics and financial industries. Dubai is regarded as liberal when compared to other Islamic countries in the Middle East, on matters to do with the rights of women and their social life.
Dubai’s law does not compel ladies to wear veils, although they normally dress up in modest manner. Although Islam forbids alcohol, purchases can be made in Dubai-very rare in the Middle East, nevertheless under heavy control (Reeder & Blair, 2000). Smoke Ban In recent times, the world health organization WHO has called for as global smoking ban, in public places like work offices, which is being attributed as the major cause of worldwide preventable deaths. According to the United Nations agency, nearly a quarter of a million people die annually from impacts of tobacco smoke exposure at their work places.
It further argues that nearly half of the children’s global population breathes air that is polluted and contaminated by smoke from tobacco. WHO asserts that indirect tobacco smoke causes deaths from smoke related diseases of hundreds of thousands of human beings, who have never smoked during their lifetimes on the planet (Scollo et al, 2003). In developing nations, the number of individuals who smoke has been on a rapid rise, with most teenagers taking own the habit without measure.Dubai’s cafes, bars and restaurants are often packed with people who smoke, even though the habit has long been banned in most office buildings and government institutions. Most of the clientele that boost the economy of this island are drawn from different parts of the world, whose interactions is normally fostered through puffing, and other habits that could be considered unhealthy in other countries. Thus an economy that relies on the hospitality industry, may find it difficult to implant bans on tobacco smoking, despite its health effects which are normally experienced in the long run.
Reducing the smoking rate has formed part of the government of Dubai’s strategic plan, with a smoking regulatory order being issued as early as 2003, and the campaign being launched coincidentally with the world no tobacco day. the orders are meant to restrict the population’s under twenty age from smoking, and from accessing smoking zones that have been designated, so that young people are discouraged from taking own this habit. But with a multicultural business clientele, drawn from different regions where maybe such laws are not in place, it will be difficult to enforce this orders, or else risk losing tourists and business.The anti-tobacco federal law was implemented in the United Arab Emirates in mid 2007.
This legislation is meant to regulate the use of tobacco, its sales and the contents therein. The ban as constituted then covered facilities like educational and health care institutions, government offices and other indoor places of work. The hospitality industry comprising of parks, restaurants and bars were exempted from this initial ban. It should be noted here that the ban was to be implemented in phases as originally planned (Clarke & Kelly, 2007)..The smoking ban’s third and final phase was implemented on the in 2008 in Dubai.
This marked the extension of the ban in hotel apartments, restaurants and bars, with some designated rooms where smoking is allowed. However, it has raised concerns that the ban could affect the hospitality industry, and thus its enforcement has faced weak and cautious steps. Prior to this move, hotels in Dubai had been facing the brand to comply with the separation of smokers from non smokers, in addition to dedicating certain areas as smoke free.The smoke ban came in connection with the Dubai executive council issuing a legislation, which is aimed at regulating smoking of tobacco in public institutions and places of work. This decision concurs with the 2007-2015 Dubai Strategic Plan, which is out to secure public health and improve the life quality of UAE citizens and Dubai’s expatriates. The ban is also in line with Dubai municipality’s strategic plan, charged with the mandate to ensure the quality of interior air is pure, and protect public buildings from smoke (Thomson & Wilson, 2006).
The ban includes barring individuals aged under twenty one from smoking areas, as planned by the municipality. Educational establishments like schools face a blanket ban, with the same applying to health clubs, internet cafes, and public offices, saloons for cutting hair and food courts. All shopping malls and restaurants must designate corners or smoking launches as a requirement, towards meeting the prerequisites fro prevailing heath standards like smoke absorbers and ventilation.Without meeting such requirements, smoking will not be allowed even in dedicated tobacco smoking zones (Brooks & Mucci, 2001). For those people who break these regulations, fines have been put in place and violators will pay from Dh500 in a first offence to Dh 5,000 in repeated offences.
For commercial establishments like hotels, coffee shops and restaurants, violation of this ban will result in penalties ranging from Dh 10,000 up to Dh 50,000 if tobacco smoking is note regulated in their buildings (Borland et al 2006).To ensure the successes of the ban, Dubai municipality sought for celebrity endorsement of the ban during its launch, besides signing memorandum of understanding with different government departments, aimed at ensuring strict implementation of this law. The departments that were targeted in the signing of MoUs included Dubai Police, Medical Services And Health, Roads and Transport Authority, Economic Development , and finally Commerce Marketing and Tourism Department. Socioeconomic effectsAccording to Tang H et al (2003), the social and economic effects of banning public tobacco smoking have reportedly been very varied. Depending on how and where the study is carried out, the results often follow a distinctive trend.
It is affect that the degree of impact on the economy is determined by the, kind of economy itself. Thus a smoke ban implemented in a certain economic setting may have very limited negative economic effects, or even a zero impact on the economy.On the other hand, certain industries may experience very adverse economic conditions when the same policy is applied on their establishments. Therefore in our attempt to extract the socioeconomic effects of smoke ban in Dubai, we shall put in mind the different economic setting and the source of data that may be used in comparison. Most of the published researches in the health organization literature concerning smoke free policies and their impact on the economy have shown varied results.It is a fact that the vast majority of these studies have their findings describing positive effects on the local businesses.
A review of nearly one hundred such studies a few years ago, on the economic impacts of smoke ban in hospitality industry, discovered that the well designed researches concluded that there was no harm on business caused by smoke ban (Curtin et al. , 1998). Conversely, other studies show that s smoke bans restrict business establishments from meeting what their clients’ value; thus impacting negatively.Because Dubai’s duty free airports lure in many tourist shoppers, smokers and non smokers, it is anticipated that the smoke ban will discourage the smokers, ultimately minimizing their visits which in turn reduces the foreign cash flow to the economy.
Dubai is the most populated of the seven member emirate, whose six percent oil revenue cannot support the population. In this case then, the foreign currency flow through tourism and business ought to be expanded and maintained, in order to secure an economy with the ability to support its inhabitants.Moussa et al (2004) argues that the presence of nearly all the major tourism accommodation chains in Dubai, offering this services at relatively expensive prices, are bond to slump if the clientele will be restricted from smoking or smoking at certain designate places only. Even the increasingly popular rental villas and apartments face a drop in business, which fall in the economic category loses. Dubai’s “souk” or market districts often crowded with shopping tourists are prawn to experience a shortage, in the wake of a smoke ban which will definitely scare of the smoking lot.The boutiques and modern shopping malls will loose business, because the smokers will shun such non smoking zones.
The numerous establishments and business merchandise that hold transactions through negotiations and free flowing bargain (cars, jewellery, sporting equipment, clothing and electronics) will miss on their liberal cultured customers who will shun patronizing such places under smoke bans. In essence the economy will face a certain degree of peril, chiefly as a result of banning tobacco smoking.Business customers always factor in the positive or negative effects presented by a particular environment, as a guideline in their choice of transaction locality. Consequently businesses establishments are set to benefit maximal when they are at liberty to provide what their clients value most.
Legislations out to ban smoking limit business freedom in the provision of the customers sought tastes in service. Some economists have disputed the idea that smoking in a hotel or restaurant should be an externality.The client chooses the hotel, bearing in mind that by making such a decision, the smoke is no extra external than the volumes of music and decor in the restaurant (Scollo et al, 2003). Research done by the affected business like restaurant and bar associations show a negative effect of smoke bans, on their business operations, while most studies sponsored by anti tobacco organizations, which have resulted in positive impacts have been criticized of lumping their efforts in fast food and other unaffected lines of business as asserted by Meara (2001).They have been accused of picking data that favors their assertions and withholding negative findings, or using opinion polls in place of negative data.
Dubai has been an ideal example of smoke bans, having negative socioeconomic effects, since the economy is funded by the hospitality industry. Other views suggests that negative social effects are bound to shoot incase of strict bans on tobacco smoking. Smuggling of cigarettes to non designated areas for smoking will be rampant, despite the harsh penalties that may follow.This will foster a black market for cigarette smokers, which may ultimately result in civil unrest or riots between the law enforcers and the smokers.
Public or government institutions like prisons are likely to be affected by such social discontent, if Dubai furthers its stringent smoke bans; safe for the country’s peace the smoke ban enforcement is hitherto very weak(Clarke & Kelly, 2007. This allows for adjustments that can shield future the country from sudden economic slump, besides preparing the social fabric to adjust to the new legislation.Recent statistics from Dubai’s tourism industry shows that there was a slump, with tourist arrivals having decreased for nearly seven percent, with the lucrative shopping market dropping by ten percent. The decline comes in the wake of the final implementation of the third phase of the smoke ban, which regulates smoking in hotels and restaurants that was affected in 2008.
It is a concern by some that the ban on smoking may account for the major decline in the traditional clientele of Dubai. The clients are out to spend their holidays in smoker’s paradises, where smoking rooms cannot be missed out.Conclusion It goes without doubt that the smoke ban will have negative impacts on the socioeconomic status of Dubai; this is a fact because Dubai’s economy relies chiefly on the hospitality industry, basically tourism and business. However, the degree of such negative effects will be dictated by the strictness that the smoke ban enforces will apply. Weak enforcement of this legislation like is the case now, ensures that massive tourist and shoppers exodus is not witnessed, besides guarantying a stable economy for Dubai during this period economic meltdown.
Critics of this ban argue that business owners should enjoy their property rights, which distinguish private owner establishments like restaurant and bars, from public places like government institutions (Clarke & Kelly, 2007). Economists argue that for efficiency in economics, basic institutions like contractual freedom and rights of private property can amicably solve conflicts amongst the smoker’s preferences, and smoke free environment seekers-without the intrusion of government legislations like smoke bans.
