Smoking in United Arab Emirates
In the United Arab Emirates, the prevalence of tobacco smoking among adults aged 15 years and older was estimated at 11.7% as of 2022. The gender-specific prevalence rates indicate a significant discrepancy, with males exhibiting a higher prevalence at 15.5%, compared to females at 2.5%. This data reflects a decrease from earlier figures in 2019, where the overall smoking prevalence was 14.7%, with males at 29% and females at 0.5%. In terms of the population size, there were approximately 992,805 tobacco smokers in 2022, a decline from 1,214,070 in 2019. The adult daily tobacco smoking prevalence in 2018 was estimated to be 8%, with 13.9% among males and 2% among females. The impact of smoking on public health is underscored by mortality data from 2021, which recorded 1,693 smoking-related deaths, constituting 8.45% of all deaths. The gender distribution of these deaths was notably skewed, with 1,479 male deaths (10.23% of male deaths) and 214 female deaths (3.86% of female deaths) attributable to tobacco smoking. This information provides a detailed overview of the tobacco smoking trends and their mortalities in the United Arab Emirates, highlighting the ongoing public health challenges associated with tobacco smoking.
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June 20, 2025 by tobaccoreporter.com
UAE Approves Tobacco-Free Nicotine Pouches
Nicotine pouches will be legally sold in the UAE from July 29 to aid smoking cessation. Dr. Sanam Mallick of Burjeel Hospital Abu Dhabi stated that these pouches could provide benefits similar to traditional NRTs, potentially increasing quitting rates by 50–70%. However, further research is required to confirm their effectiveness.
June 20, 2025 by indiatimes.com
UAE legalizes tobacco-free nicotine pouches to help smokers quit cigarettes
The UAE approved the sale of tobacco-free nicotine pouches from July 29, offering smokers an alternative to cigarettes. Nicotine pouches contain nicotine but no tobacco, reducing lung damage risks. Dr. Mallick explained the pouches release nicotine without smoke, aiding in quitting smoking due to reduced cravings. However, they can be addictive, and long-term health effects are still being studied. Nicotine pouches work through oral mucosal absorption, unlike patches. While they may help some smokers quit, their effectiveness compared to traditional nicotine replacement therapies remains uncertain. The UAE regulates nicotine product sales, with warnings and age restrictions required. Despite health risks, the UAE is dedicated to supporting tobacco cessation through counseling and psychological aid.
November 21, 2022 by khaleejtimes.com
UAE doctors warn: E-cigarettes could be bringing back a dangerous habit by making smoking look cool
Doctors in the UAE are alarmed by how the youth are increasingly taking to e-cigarettes after targeted campaigns make them look cool. Their comments came after a study conducted in the US found that more adolescent e-cigarette users report vaping within five minutes of waking up.
According to the study published in the medical journal JAMA Network Open, teens are getting addicted to e-cigarettes younger; with addictions being more intense.
Interestingly, between 2014 and 2017, less than one per cent of e-cigarette users reported using the devices within five minutes of waking up, while by 2021, the total drastically grew to 10.3 per cent.
July 18, 2022 by thenationalnews.com
E-cigarettes used by one in five university students in UAE, study finds
Nearly a quarter of students in the UAE used an e-cigarette in the past month, a study has found.
Research carried out at three universities in the country recorded higher vaping rates than other recent studies in the Emirates and elsewhere in the Gulf.
Experts have given a warning that while e-cigarettes are less harmful than traditional cigarettes, they do pose a risk to health and could be a gateway to more hazardous tobacco smoking.
Students at one private and two public universities were polled on whether and when they had used e-cigarettes.
August 30, 2021 by arabianbusiness.com
Can vaping render the cigarette obsolete? Dubai turns global spotlight on growing tobacco alternative
Could the days of the cigarette be numbered as millions of people worldwide switch from smoking to vaping?
When vape retailers say this is a process now well under way, that’s one thing, but when one of the world’s largest tobacco producers supports the argument, backed by industry groups and experts from the US to China, that’s another. Joe Dunne is director of Hale Vaping, which accounts for 45 percent of the Irish vaping market. He tells smokers eager to quit to see vaping as a “new miracle drug” they can use at their own initiative in order to take personal responsibility for their own health. [...]
December 22, 2020 by khaleejtimes.com
UAE to ban e-cigarettes, shisha without digital tax stamp
Starting January 1, water pipe tobacco (shisha) or electrically heated cigarettes cannot be sold in the UAE unless they bear the digital tax stamp (DTS), the Federal Tax Authority (FTA) has said.
These products cannot be sold, transported, stored or possessed without the tax stamp.
The DTS system helps the FTA “improve its ability to collect excise tax charged” on such products on being imported or manufactured locally. It also enables “stakeholders to analyse the supply chain to better control illicit tobacco products”.
February 21, 2019 by thenationalnews.com
UAE doctors won't promote vaping to help smokers quit
E-cigarettes will not be offered as an aid to help smokers quit until the full health impact is determined, doctors have said.
This week the government's product regulator said e-cigarettes and vaping products could be sold legally from mid-April.
Regulation will ensure consumers will have transparency over the vaping products they buy and help authorities stamp out black market and unregulated sellers.
But government doctors said the country will not go as far as some nations in promoting the devices to problem smokers.
February 18, 2019 by thenationalnews.com
UAE to allow sale of e-cigarettes and vaping devices
New regulations will allow the legal sale of e-cigarettes and vaping devices in the UAE for the first time.
Manufacturers will be allowed to sell the battery-powered products as long as they meet new standards and carry health warnings similar to traditional cigarettes.
The Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology confirmed the move on Sunday. The new rules - known as UAE.S 5030 - allow the sale of electronic cigarettes, electronic pipes, electronic shisha devices plus the liquid refills.
January 14, 2019 by thenationalnews.com
Take it from a nicotine addict, shisha is no joke
A new UAE study has confirmed what every shisha lover has long suspected: there are higher levels of cancer-causing metals in shisha products than in cigarettes. The research was co-authored by Professor Mohamed Al Hajjaj of the University of Sharjah, Abdus Khan of Khalifa University, [...] The study looked at 13 medwakh tobacco products and three shisha products, analysing their properties to determine metal concentrations. Their findings may not have been surprising, but they were terrifying all the same. [...]
November 19, 2018 by thenationalnews.com
Hooked on hookah: UAE experts report surge in shisha addicts
A rising number of UAE residents are seeking help after becoming hooked on shisha, an addiction expert has said.
Johanna Griffin, a Dubai-based specialist, said there has been a noticeable spike in patients attempting to kick the habit. They had often started smoking shisha, she revealed, unaware that evidence suggests they can be more dangerous than cigarettes.
Kamal Naji, 27, quit cigarettes before turning to shisha, which has now become a “part of his life”. He enjoys one immediately after finishing work, and another in the evening.
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