The Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs’ ban on sale of tobacco products to anyone under the age of 18 was implemented Monday. Shopkeepers trying to comply with the ban faced a backlash from teenage smokers trying to purchase tobacco products.
“I was insulted, shouted at and threatened throughout the day for asking to see identification cards in order to verify the customer’s age before selling them cigarettes and related products,” said Akash, a Bangladeshi shopkeeper in a Jeddah convenience store.
He said the angry customers, particularly Saudi teenagers, argued that he had no right to ask to see their I.D. cards. They threatened him physically if he did not allow them to make purchases. “I explained to them that I must verify their age due to a new ministerial order, but many accused me of lying and said they would beat me if I did not complete the sale,” Akash explained.
Mohammed Hakeem, an Indian sales employee at Al-Raya Supermarket said he has also been confronted with frustration from under-age customers when they were informed of the new regulation.
“I have not been threatened physically, thank God,” Hakeem said smiling, while admitting he had suffered some angry remarks.
“It is only natural that underage customers would become frustrated as many of these children smoke without their parents’ knowledge. Still, they need to know that the new guideline was created to help them, not harm them,” he clarified.
Nonetheless, teens say they were unaware of the new law and were surprised that shopkeepers asked to verify their age merely to purchase a pack of cigarettes.
“I tried to buy a carton of cigarettes this morning and was asked how old I am. I was angry at first, but after learning about the new regulation, I understood the reason for the question. In the end, I was unable to buy the cigarettes myself, so I asked our driver to go purchase them for me,” Abdulrahman, a 15-year-old Saudi smoker said.
The Minister of the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs, Prince Mansour bin Miteb, issued the new law, in cooperation with a recommendation of the National Committee for Tobacco Control to take legislative, executive and administrative measures on a government level to prohibit under-age smoking.
In a statement concerning the ban released on the Ministry’s website Monday, the Minister expressed his keenness to cooperate with the Ministry of Health in maintaining public health and promoting increased awareness of families on the risks and harm caused by smoking.
As part of a campaign in the Riyadh region to notify outlets of the ban, Sulaiman bin Hamad Al-Buthe, director general of the Environmental Health Secretariat warned shop owners in an article in published in a Riyadh Newspaper. He said that shops found to be selling tobacco products to under-age customers would be fined SR500 in the case of any violation.
