Princess Dina reviews smoking inspection mechanisms

AMMAN — HH Princess Dina Mired on Monday chaired a meeting to discuss the priorities of the national plan of inspection mechanisms during the upcoming phase, following the issuance of new instructions related to places that offer shisha and the prevention of all forms of smoking in public places, to protect the public from the hazards of smoking.

Princess Dina commended the recommendations made by the participants to conduct control and inspection campaigns in public and economic institutions, lauding the Health Ministry and all sectors’ participatory efforts to protect society from the health and economic impacts of smoking.

Health Minister Feras Al Hawari said that unifying national efforts to enforce the Public Health Law, which stipulates banning smoking in public places, is a top priority and part of the government’s anti-coronavirus measures, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra.  

During the meeting attended by WHO Representative in Jordan Maria Cristina Profili, representatives from the ministries of industry, trade, tourism and finance, the Greater Amman Municipality, head of the Royal Health Awareness Society as well as representatives from Tobacco Free Jordan,  Hawari  said that the COVID-19 pandemic has proved the importance of implementing  the law to ensure sustainable reopening of sectors.

The inspection campaign, carried out by the Ministry of Health’s media department is aimed to implement Public Health Law No. 47 of 2008 and its amendments that prohibit smoking in public places and 100 per cent-closed areas, and entail guidelines for serving shisha.

The move coincides with the government’s intention to expand the reopening of sectors and allow serving shisha in cafes, according to Petra.