Raising the legal purchasing age of buying cigarettes and vapes from 18 to 21 in Bahrain could help deter many young people from ever becoming hooked on nicotine, an expert believes.
Speaking during a recent session titled ‘The Harm of Smoking and its Impact on Public Health’, Budaiya Health Centre general practitioner Dr Fatema Mubarak has warned of the rising use of vaping products among youngsters.
During the gathering, held at the Northern Municipal Council headquarters in Budaiya, parents raised their concerns about how easy it was for children to purchase the products, urging authorities to take firmer action and the age ruling may be a step forward.
“It would not only reduce the number of cases where young people get addicted to cigarettes and vapes, but also send a message as to how bad it can be,” said Dr Mubarak.
“It could even end up making a lot of people hesitant to purchase it below the legal age limit, as they would not want to break the law.
“Adult brains and teenage brains are different – and teenagers are more likely to get addicted.”
In Bahrain, the legal age to be able to purchase tobacco products is 18, just like in the rest of the GCC except for Kuwait, where it is 21.
Northern Municipal Council chairman Dr Sayed Al Wedaei stated that random inspections were being held to ensure shops adhered to government policy.
“We are constantly checking not only vape shops but also cold stores to ensure rules are being followed,” he said. “Plenty of campaigns have been held to educate students and we have called on schools to be stricter and show a ‘no tolerance’ policy when it comes to vaping and smoking.”
It’s a challenge on several fronts, the meeting heard.
“Vapes are very common these days due to advertising, peer pressure and appealing product designs,” added Dr Mubarak. “They have become very easy to get, even for children, as they are very readily available, even on some delivery apps.
“All children need is the use of their parent’s bank card or BenefitPay and they can easily get their hands on them with no way to ensure the purchaser is of legal age.”
One of the biggest challenges when it comes to identifying vapes comes from their modern resemblance to everyday items.
There have been reports of vaping products disguised as phone cases, pens, smart watches and USB drives, to name a few.
That combined with the lack of the odour that stems from regular cigarettes has made crackdowns in schools difficult.
Many families have also expressed concerns. Buri resident Ahmed Altalili, 60, thanked the Northern Municipal Council for its efforts and urged more to be done.
“This is something that concerns all of us,” Mr Altalili told the GDN. “In around 1980, Bahrain Anti-Smoking Society board chief Shaikh Isa bin Mohammed Al Khalifa used to go around the villages and talk to people and educate them about the dangers of smoking.
“People like him used to put in a lot of effort for our future, and Bahrain has made great strides in the past 20 years, but our job is not done.
“We need more laws against vapes, we need more education and we need authorities to take firm action against violators who sell to children.”
The GDN reported last year that children as young as 14 were vaping, calling for the need for early education and intervention.
They were originally promoted as a smoking cessation method, but have shown to potentially be even more addictive because teenagers are vaping without having picked up a cigarette.
A recent study conducted earlier this month by the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland - Bahrain at a private school revealed that one in 10 students vaped at least once a month, raising alarm bells among medical practitioners.
nader@gdnmedia.bh
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