Article 18 of the Saudi Anti-Smoking Law
المادة 18 من نظام مكافحة التدخين
The article allocates all fines collected under the Anti-Smoking Law to support awareness and encourage civil associations to combat smoking, through a bank account spent according to the Minister of Health's instructions.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
تخصص جميع الغرامات المحصلة بموجب أحكام هذا النظام لدعم جهود التوعية وتشجيع الجمعيات الأهلية على مكافحة التدخين ونشرها على مستوى المملكة.
وينشأ لهذا الغرض حساب بنكي يصرف منه بحسب التعليمات التي يصدرها وزير الصحة.
This is the official Arabic wording, the only legally binding version. We do not translate the law itself; the explanation below is ours. Official source: Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers
Article 18 explained in plain English
This article shows what happens to the money collected from fines, and links punishment to prevention:
- What is allocated: all fines collected under the provisions of the law, without exception.
- Purpose: to support awareness efforts and encourage civil associations to combat smoking and spread this effort across the Kingdom.
- Management mechanism: a bank account is created for this purpose, and spending from it is made according to the instructions issued by the Minister of Health.
So a fine under this law is not a general revenue; it is allocated by the text to a specific purpose that serves the very goal of combating smoking.
This provision links to Article 17, which provides that the law's penalties do not affect any more severe penalty set by another law, and to Article 19, which makes the Minister of Health the one who issues the Implementing Regulations of the law in coordination with the relevant bodies; the Minister of Health thus issues both the regulations and the instructions for spending from the account.
The article does not specify how the amounts are distributed, the conditions for associations to benefit, or their shares, but leaves that to the Minister of Health's instructions. For that reason, how an association applies to benefit from the account cannot be known from this text; one must refer to those instructions.
Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.
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Frequently asked questions about Article 18 of the Saudi Anti-Smoking Law
Where does the money from smoking fines go?
All of it is allocated to support awareness efforts and encourage civil associations to combat smoking, through a bank account created for this purpose.
Who determines how money is spent from the smoking fines account?
Spending from the account is made according to the instructions issued by the Minister of Health.
More articles on Smoking Violations and Fines
- Article 12
The article makes government bodies, educational, health, sports, cultural, social and charitable institutions, and private-sector establishments responsible for catching and recording violations of the law and imposing fines.
تتولى الوزارات والمصالح الحكومية والمؤسسات والهيئات العامة وفروعها، والجهات العامة الأخرى في الدولة، والمؤسسات التعليمية والصحية والرياضية والثقافية والاجتماعية
- Article 13
The article punishes anyone who violates the ban on growing or manufacturing tobacco in Article 3 with a fine of SAR 20,000 and removal of the violation at their expense.
يعاقب كل مخالف لأحكام المادة (الثالثة) من هذا النظام بغرامة مالية مقدارها (20.000) عشرون ألف ريال مع إزالة المخالفة على حسابه.
- Article 14
The article punishes anyone who smokes in the places where Article 7 prohibits smoking with a fine of SAR 200.
يعاقب كل من يتعاطى التدخين مخالفاً أحكام المادة (السابعة) من هذا النظام بغرامة مالية مقدارها (200) مائتا ريال.
- Article 15
The article punishes any violation of the law for which no specific penalty is provided with a fine not exceeding SAR 5,000, doubled in case of repeat offense.
فيما لم يرد في شأنه نص خاص بالعقوبة، يعاقب كل من يرتكب أي مخالفة لأي حكم من أحكام هذا النظام بغرامة لا تتجاوز (5000) خمسة آلاف ريال، وتضاعف العقوبة في حالة العَ
- Article 16
The article allows anyone penalized under the Anti-Smoking Law to file a grievance before the competent authority within the prescribed statutory period.
يجوز لمن صدرت ضده عقوبة من العقوبات المنصوص عليها في هذا النظام، التظلم أمام الجهة المختصة، خلال المدة النظامية المقررة.
- Article 17
The article provides that the penalties in the Anti-Smoking Law do not prevent applying any more severe penalty set by another law.
لا تخل العقوبات المنصوص عليها في هذا النظام بأي عقوبة أشد ينص عليها نظام آخر .
The texts are reproduced from the official website of the Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers for reference; where they differ, the officially published Arabic text prevails. This content is not legal advice.