煙草在線據海灣新聞報道編譯　　根據12月25日在阿布達比宣布的一項新法，在2013年1月1日后，不帶有圖片健康警語的卷煙將被禁止在阿聯酋公開出售。

　　在阿聯酋標準計量局12月26日的通告中，只有印制了今年早些時候推行的關于吸煙危險的規定圖片的卷煙，才能在2013年合法出售。

　　阿聯酋標準計量局代理局長Mohammad Saleh Badri,說，沒有哪家公司能夠例外，獲得這些法規的豁免。

　　阿聯酋標準計量局的一份聲明說：“阿聯酋標準計量局與煙草制造商的代表們舉行了會談，向他們強調了新的標準和政府按時頒行這些標準的決心。”

　　阿聯酋標準計量局說，它正在與幾個酋長國的經濟部、阿布達比標準質量居以及迪拜市政府的官員們合作，確保這項徹底的新法在全國得到頒行。

　　在12月25日晚接受《海灣新聞》的采訪時，在提到關于今年6月份這項法規的生效日期推遲6個月，以便使卷煙公司能夠賣掉現有的沒有圖片健康警語的舊煙草產品時，Badri局長說：“生效日期不會再有進一步的推遲了。”

　　這項法規生效日期最后延期到12月31日。

　　Badri說，由于“當時收回庫存不現實”，阿聯酋標準計量局今年將法規的生效期延期，但他指出，為提前全面遵守法律規定，一些卷煙公司已經將舊產品撤出了流通。

　　Badri說：“從1月1日起，我們將嚴格執行這項法律。那些不遵守這項法規的人將面臨嚴厲處罰。”他補充說，處罰的嚴厲程度可能從處以15萬迪拉姆，一直到“將產品逐出市場”不等。

UAE: Cigarette Graphics Mandatory after January 1

　　Cigarette packages that do not contain graphic health warnings will be banned from public sale in the United Arab Emirates after January 1 under new laws announced yesterday in Abu Dhabi.

　　In an announcement on Wednesday by the Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology (ESMA), only cigarette packages emblazoned with mandatory graphic imagery of the hazards of smoking introduced earlier this year will be legally offered for sale in 2013.

　　Mohammad Saleh Badri, acting director general of the Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology (ESMA), said no company is exempt from the rules.

　　"Esma has met with representatives of tobacco producers and emphasised to them the new standards and the government's keenness to enforce it on time," said a statement from Esma.

　　The body said that it is working with economic ministry officials in several emirates, the Abu Dhabi Council for Standardisation and Quality as well as Dubai Municipality to ensure the sweeping new rule is enforced across the country.

　　In an interview last night with Gulf News, Badri said "there won't be any further extension at all" in reference to a six-month extension in June this year of the rules to allow cigarette companies to sell older existing stocks of tobacco products that did not contain the graphic imagery.

　　The last day of that extension ends on December 31.

　　Badri said the extension was awarded by authorities this year because "it was impractical to withdraw stock at the time" and he pointed out that some cigarette companies have already withdrawn older products from circulation to fully comply with the law ahead of time.

　　"We will strictly implement this from January 1. Those who do not comply with this particular rule will face strict penalties," Badri said, adding that penalties could range in severity from fines starting from Dh15,000 all the way up to a "product being withdrawn from the market." Enditem