It was a day without smoke in Dubai as the civic authority banned the sale of cigarettes in the emirates for 24 hours morning.
Supermarkets in Dubai displayed signs announcing that tobacco would not be sold as Dubai Municipalit stopped cigarette and tobacco sale at petrol stations and major retail stores for 24 hours.
Petrol stations and leading retail outlets put up signs saying that cigarettes would not be sold.
Emarat and Enoc petrol stations turned away customers who wanted to buy a pack of cigarettes.
It said that almost all restaurants and cafes cooperated with the civic body and participated in the campaign by stopping the sale of shisha for 12 hours.
Dubai Municipality said that in support of the no smoking initiative, 63 shops, hypermarkets and supermarkets stopped selling tobacco products for a day.
Meanwhile, Dr Hanif Hassan, Minister of Health, said yesterday that the UAE planned to build more smoking cessation clinics across the country to help people quit smoking.
He said the clinics had helped 400 smokers quit the habit in 2009 and another 400 stopped smoking last year. There are seven smoking cessation clinics across the emirates.
