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Sitra Mall, one of Bahrain’s leading shopping destinations, is set to become the first shopping mall in Bahrain to ban smoking.
On May 31, World No Tobacco Day, it will implement an active smoking ban in line with the recommendation from the Ministry of Health.
From tomorrow, no customer will be allowed to smoke anywhere within the interior of Sitra Mall.
Sitra Mall manager Waqas Al Dhawadi said: “We fully support the government’s initiative to ban smoking in malls. Everyone is entitled to a smoke-free environment when they’re shopping, especially in a mall like Sitra Mall where a lot of young families shop due to our extensive range of children’s shops. From May 31, we will ensure that no-one smokes within the mall.
“Around 24 per cent of Bahrainis are heavy smokers and as a family environment, we need to ensure that our children are not being subjected to passive smoking.
“We already have strong feedback from our customers saying that they would like to see a smoking ban introduced.
“We will be surveying our customers continually to get their feedback on the no smoking policy as well as other measures to ensure Sitra Mall offers the best shopping experience.”
Sitra Mall’s new policy move coincides with World No Tobacco Day, which has been promoted by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on May 31 since 1987. An increasing number of countries have introduced smoke-free laws, with Ireland becoming the first nation in March 2004 to create smoke-free indoor workplaces and public places.
Since then, other countries have followed its example, including New Zealand, Italy and Uruguay.
