Smoking Ban Enters into Force amid Protest to Amend Anti-Tobacco Legislation

I am with this ban, however, I do ot think it will be implemented:
- they should ban first the biggest smoker: Zouk electricity.
- if a policeman gives a smoker a ticket, how will they force him to pay it?
- this will give police an additional leverage ver restaurants for bakhchiche.
- ...
in a country where kidnapping is not pursued, it is funny to see such a law take force :)

I for one stopped going to restaurants in Lebanon a long time ago mainly for smoking. A lot of my friends do the same. We prefer to save the money and go spend it in countries where they have the ban. People go to restaurants to enjoy their meals not to experience something bad to their health.

There are even smokers bothered by other people smoking. What restaurants don't realize is that more people will come if the ban is in effect. So before they talk, why not try it first. Even a big part of the smokers will show up. Just wait and see.

As for shisha, it's horrible. It's bad for the person and the ones around him specially in closed places. I don't know who let them smoke in closed places in the first place? There are a lot of restaurants that have a special place for smokers and shisha lovers.

If you don't believe me look at the person who is smoking or shishaing. Is he more happy and smiling or sad and frowning (The famous Lebanese ja2ra).

Finally!! Thank you Lebanon, for once the government has done something right. Now please, please enforce this law. And not just for a month or two like they did with wearing seatbelts and talking on the phone while driving, but for always. Tourist will actually be happy to come and see that Beirut is in line with the rest of the civilized nations. Now if we can just work on a few other things here..... :)

It is a joke ,in a country like Lebanon you can find weapons in every single house .Hezb Iran and Meqdeads family have no respect for the law ,in the north of Lebanon scum bags are killing eachother ,it is not safe to carry cash around,enough BS clean the country first then worry about somking...

I won't go to restaurants unless they have an outdoor area because the smoke doesn't help one enjoy a meal. I used to smoke, but never inside a house and never in enclosed areas like cars.

The law is one thing; enforcement is another.

There is no correlation between the cigarette ban and "setting the country on fire".
The only reason the owners of restaurants are focusing so much on maintaining the status quo is their fear of change, which could affect their business.
At the same time they claim to be "civilized" people, but they i)refuse the abide by the law, ii)threaten the state of a course of actions worthy of cavemen and iii)have no problem affecting OTHER businesses along the way.
Where I was raised, this is called double standards, and whether it matters or not remains secondary to one thing: if you wanna smoke, others don't! So why do you want to force them to?

I'm against those laws. It's socialism. Step 1/ prevent smoking Step 2/ increase tax on tobacco Step 3/increase tax on everything else.

This is how it begins, anywhere in the world. I've never smoked a cig in my entire -young- life, Moreover, I'm allergic to smoke. It itches my nose... but I'm even more allergic to politicians putting their noses in my business.

Another example of how the Lebanese love to copy everything Europeans do. Maybe they should put their efforts into fixing the roads, electricity, crime, water, pollution..etc.. before something as insignificant as a 'Smoking ban'

It's a step forward and a big thank you to the responsible ones.

I hope the next step will be the trucks, cars, generators, factories, ....

It is very much possible to live in Lebanon and enjoy clean air, clean sea and clean mountains.

From a former smoker and seeing the smoking ban taking place in my US state. I think they went tackling this a bit too fast. Perhaps instead of killing it all at once that NO business in their right mind would accept, a phased approach would've been more acceptable.

For example giving resturants a certain date by than they must be compliant, same with bars and so on. This gives the busienss owners time to adjust.

As usual.
The measure should be more progressive and make place for exceptions to be sustainable.

I think restaurants are not paying attention to the fact that they may have a whole new us timer base of non smokers. Our family avoid going to restaurants if we are to be subjected to second hand smoke in addition to the fact that you can not enjoy your meal with all the smoke around. So, I am with the ban. Next thing I hope the government will do is to enforce all vehicles in Lebanon to have catalytic converters to reduce smog and pollution...... Yalla

NON SMOKERS: every time u find yourselves in a resto. and notice that someone is smoking. call the manager, and threaten to leave without paying unless they ask the offender to leave and smoke outside. NON SMOKERS(the silent majority) should no longer remain silent!

People for get for a min. why this law comes in effect in the first place!! It is all about you, and your children!! Tobaco KILLS!! Kills those who smoke, and those AROUND THEM! It is not fair for waiters and bartenders to inhale 6 packs an eve because party goers do not wish to step out and smoke in the open air!!! This law is not about Hizbullah, nor mustaqbal, nor and nor!! for once it is something positive and CIVILIZED! Embrace it!! some civilized countries are even considering criminalizing smoking at home if homeowners have children!!

This is a good move and I totally support it. Of course one expects a strong opposition to it due to the fact that nagging is part of our culture, even when we're happy.
Even with all of the lawlessness and this law's seemingly futile appearance, it's better to have it than not. I just wonder how it will be implemented.

Heart miracles are impossible
It's good to see Dr. Carl V. Philips back and blogging over at Ep-ology. In his last two posts he has been discussing the North Carolina heart miracle 'study', which is as bad a piece of advocacy-driven junk science as you will ever see.

In particular, he makes a point which I have tried to made before, which is absolutely fundamental to all the heart miracle studies. The results they report—of heart attacks falling by 17%, 21%, 40% or whatever—are simply impossible.

http://velvetgloveironfist.blogspot.com/2011/11/heart-miracles-are-impos...

You all are being blasted with anti-smoking propaganda right now. Second hand smoke is harmless and at most an irritant yet its the junk science basis for the ban and its the world health organizations FCTC treaty forcing it down your throats. Because Lebanon wants to get World Bank and IMF loans now and in the future..........The smoking ban treaty is tied directly to getting that money.

The latest studies in countries that implemented the ban showed that the percentage of severe heart attacks has dropped by 17-19 percent, Majdalani told An Nahar daily.

He is LYING!

Heart attacks Frauds and Myths..

http://www.spiked-on
line.com/index.php/s
ite/article/7451/

Do Smoking Bans Reduce Heart Attacks?

“In contrast with smaller regional studies,” says a RAND Corporation study, “we find that smoking bans are not associated with statistically significant short-term declines in mortality or hospital admissions for myocardial infarction [heart attack] or other diseases.”
In fact, “An analysis simulating smaller studies using subsamples reveals that large short-term increases in myocardial infarction incidence following a smoking ban are as common as the large decreases reported in the published literature.”
In other words, although heart attacks do decline in some places with smoking bans, there are just as many places where they rise. On average, the difference between jurisdictions with smoking bans and jurisdictions without smoking bans is essentially zero.

http://healthblog.ncpa.org/do-smoking...
...

Blue Print For Success – Countdown 2000 – Ten Years to a Tobacco Free America
(Sept. 11, 1990)

“The document is an action plan for achieving consistent nationwide policy in states and localities. It provides guidelines to address the following three major tobacco issues: 1) marketing targeted at special populations, 2) tobacco excise taxes and 3) restrictions on smoking in public places. This draft will eventually form the basis for achieving the goals we share for the year 2000.”

P 30-31; Any comprehensive Clean Indoor Air statute must not contain provisions that provide civil rights protection for smokers against employment discrimination.

“Hundreds of smoking-control laws across the country stipulate that in cases of dispute between a smoker and nonsmoker, the nonsmokers wishes prevail.
Anti-discrimination laws would serve to negate such stipulations.
In addition, an anti-discrimination law would give a smoker the power to bring suit against both the employer and the nonsmoker with whom there is a grievance.”
http://tobaccodocuments.org/rjr/507619094-9127.html

Heres the biggy;

JOINT STATEMENT ON THE RE-ASSESSMENT OF THE TOXICOLOGICAL TESTING OF TOBACCO PRODUCTS"
7 October, the COT meeting on 26 October and the COC meeting on 18
November 2004.

cot.food.gov.uk/pdfs/tox201208.pdf

"5. The Committees commented that tobacco smoke was a highly complex chemical mixture and that the causative agents for smoke induced diseases (such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, effects on reproduction and on offspring) was unknown. The mechanisms by which tobacco induced adverse effects were not established. The best information related to tobacco smoke - induced lung cancer, but even in this instance a detailed mechanism was not available.

For all the incompetences of this failed government formed by a criminal regime and a criminal organization,I do give them credit for two policies: 1. Banning smoking in public spaces and 2. reminding beach resorts that they cannot discriminate against domestic helpers. However, it would have been a better timing if smoking ban was implemented end of September and the Lebanese media was more active in highliting discrimination and abuses against domestic workers, as well as insuring minimum dignity for the asylum seekers from Sudan and Ethiopia.

I am not a smoker but just about everyone in my family smokes but I do not agree with this law. I do not think the government should tell businesses what they can and can't do. Why is it so hard for non-smokers to accept the fact that no one is forcing them to go to a place that allows smoking if it bothers them so much? If I had a business, I would hope that it would my choice to allow or ban smoking in my own establishment. If the smoke bothers you, go somewhere else, easy. The smoke bothering you should not override my choice to smoke (if I smoke)

HarelyRIDE... SHUT UP!

and deal with it! You will get more customers, if u ban smoking ! be sure of it!

I am also a smoker, however I am not a murderer, and even though I have had a thorough moral education that has taught me to consider others around me, and thus I do not light up in the middle of a restaurant with others eating around me, obviously el Libnéniyé mannunsh hil mathal el a3la bil 2ikhla2, and since they can't behave with the simplest courtesy on their own, I'm glad that this government - for once doing anything useful whatsoever - is acting as a surrogate mom and dad and forcing the people to abide by some elementary manners through punitive law. Not that I have more faith than most commentators around here that this law would actually be enforced...

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