Smoking Banned in Riyadh Mall

World No Tobacco Day is being marked by one of the largest malls in Riyadh. Yesterday, Sahara Mall became the first complex in the Kingdom to ban smoking on its premises, declaring Sahara an entirely smoke-free complex. The assistant deputy minister for preventative medicine, Dr. Khaled Al-Zahrani, called on other malls to follow suit.

In a brief speech, he spoke about victims of second-hand smoke, particularly children. This is no small feat for a region that faces an enormous problem with smoking. A separate department with the Ministry of Health has been established.

This ministry is apparently taking a pro-active stance, organizing nationwide programs to promote a smoke-free life and encourage people to quit. Held in coordination with the World Health Organization, the theme of this year’s World No-Tobacco Day was “pictorial health warnings on the packaging and labeling of tobacco products.” Dr. Majid Al-Muneef, general supervisor of the Tobacco Control Program at the Ministry of Health, lamented that the number of Saudi women smokers has been increasing rapidly in recent years.

Smoke-free complexes such as Sahara Mall are a huge step in a different direction. Times are changing.