Doha • As if smokers did not have it bad enough already, a group of ‘enforcers’ have been roaming around the Najma area of the city asking shopkeepers to stop selling cigarettes. While some shopowners have complied, others are selling cigarettes from literally under the counter.

A request for a package or a carton of cigarttes sees the counter salesman or his assistant scurrying to a back room to fetch the ‘contraband’. In other cases, cigarettes have discreetly been stashed in the cash drawer while in other cases, they are kept in innocuous plastic carry bags.

A shopkeeper told The Peninsula yesterday when asked why cigarettes are no longer at hand: “One day a group of bearded men came to the shop and asked us to stop selling cigarttes. They were mutawas I think and certainly not from the municipality.”

Only the municipality has powers to enforce directives of such a nature and the shopkeepers said they were familiar with the civic employees on the ‘beat’ and these men were not municipal representatives.

Another shopkeeper said his store had decided to stop selling cigarettes altogether as the ‘Municipality’ had told them to do so, although he could not provide anything in writing about the instructions.

Shopkeepers say the gentleman visitors were courteous and in no way threatening. A shopkeeper said: “We felt it was safest to listen to them. In any case, we are still selling cigarettes although not displaying them openly.”

It is hard to figure out what factors are at play with regard to the visits. Ramadan is a ways off still and even so, stores sell cigarettes in the Holy Month. None of the shops visited are located in close proximity to a school so that argument also goes out the window.

Directives issued not too long ago had laid down rules stating stores could not sell cigarettes or tobacco-related products within a certain distance from a school. Consequently, several shops had to stop selling cigarettes forcing customers to go to other outlets.

As for the mystery visitors,who they are and what they represent is anyone's guess. It could just be they mean well and want nationals and residents to enjoy the best of health.

Or at least make it a little more difficult to find cigarettes.