I passed by Gemmayzeh and Mar Mikhail yesterday and most people were outside the pubs smoking. You could see large crowds at some point in Mar Mikhail almost blocking the road. I even spotted some people smoking inside but the doors and windows were open, so I guess that makes it legal.
I don’t want to sound too pessimistic but I’ve seen violations everywhere I went lately, specially in the arguileh places that don’t give a damn about Law 174 anymore. Even though the Facebook Group Law 174 – No Smoking Lebanon is doing a great job reporting the businesses breaking the law, and even created a hot line (1735) to report violations, there’s no point in all that if there’s no one to enforce the law.
The pictures are taken from the funeral procession that was organized by the Tobacco Free Initiative (TFI) and the Tobacco Control Citizen Watch, with the support of the Union of Syndicates of Lebanese Professionals, in the name of the 3500 annual victims of tobacco in Lebanon and to point out the negligence in the implementation of Law 174.
The funeral procession was organized by the Tobacco Free Initiative (TFI) and the Tobacco Control Citizen Watch, with the support of the Union of Syndicates of Lebanese Professionals. These organizations and the Tobacco Control Research Group at the American University of Beirut warn the ministers of Tourism, Interior, Health, and Economy that they will escalate their actions if those ministers continue to neglect protecting the Lebanese from the top cause of death in the country. In addition, they urge citizens to be vocal in demanding their rights to a healthy environment, and to call 1735 to report violations. [Link]
Lebanon has bigger problems then smoking..
Non smoking should be followed but you have to consider both sides
The smoker and non smoker so make smoking areas and non smoking areas in restaurants/pubs/clubs and try solve bigger problems such as our corrupt food government escalating prices in everything, the Syria conflict leaking to us right now, and the failure of our government to support it’s citizens!. They’re just trying to distract you from the real problems at hand, look at te bigger picture and put all this funeral shenanigans effort into something worth the time beneficial for everyone
Every time someone tries to do something that needs doing, another someone always pops up with the ridiculous argument of “Who cares? Lebanon has bigger problems.”
I don’t smoke for health reasons – why should I be forced to breath the poison that is tobacco smoke? Smoking is a contributing factor to all of the leading causes of death in most countries.
The logic behind banning smoking (besides people’s health) is that less smokers means less hospital treatment which in turn means less government expenditure. Win-win for the government. But they are too short-term to consider that – they just want to know where they can pocket the next million.
Doing this is not distracting the governing bodies from “more important” things, it’s just that we are stuck with a useless, incompetent, incapable and disinterested government. Has any Lebanese government supported its citizens?
Back to your point. The “funeral shenanigans” is all about doing something that is beneficial to everyone and smoking is a “real problem in hand”. These people are doing something about it because they feel it is important.
Why don’t you get a like-minded bunch together and apply yourselves to those problems you think need addressing in order of importance?
I personally am trying to organize neighbourhood watches to stop people allowing their dogs to crap all over the place, it’s important to me.
Shit on my shoes, I can do something about – the conflict in Syria, not so much.