Excellent links to carry on your readings...

1) The alarming facts of smoking in Lebanon:
http://lebanese-identity.blogspot.com/2006/12/alarming-facts-of-smoking-in-lebanon.html

2) The cost of smoking in Lebanon:
http://www.nowlebanon.com/NewsArchiveDetails.aspx?ID=166610

3) Lebanese parliament approves anti-smoking law:
http://www.ansamed.info/en/libano/news/ME.XEF31127.html

4) Lebanon may follow an anti-smoking trend:
http://articles.latimes.com/2010/feb/23/world/la-fg-mideast-smoke24-2010feb24

These are great links to check out for extra information on what different sides have to say regarding this issue. As shocking as it may sound, economical, political, and social aspects of Lebanese society are all affected by the lack of control on public smoking.

Peer Pressure and Public Smoking

So does peer pressure really have an effect even on smoking? Well just out of interest I went around asking some of my friends if they were ever affected by other smokers, how they were affected, and how they felt towards AUB being a nonsmoking campus. Sarah said that having both her parents at home being smokers did not lead her to become a smoker herself. On the contrary, she had a clear thought of the dangers of smoking. “Aside from all the harmful side effects, I simply don’t want to end up having my clothes and breath smelling like cigarettes!” Charbel on the other hand claimed that the AUB nonsmoking campus was only effective at bringing those nonsmokers closer to the smokers. “Well we’re not going to leave our friend’s just sitting there alone, so now we’re joining them at the smoking areas, which actually has made many of us take up smoking as a habit. I think AUB has made things worse.” Personally, I believe that there is no doubt that peer pressure does exist and that it forces many to adopt this dirty habit. However, better education in school, as well as having universities adopt a nonsmoking policy, is an excellent start at informing society as a whole just how much smoking is frowned upon.

Smoking Ban on AUB Campus

This report is of seveal reports produced by AUB students enrolled in Broadcast Media. This video "Smoking Ban on Campus" was directed by Robine Abla and entails a short news report about the smoking ban policy on AUB campus and the opinion of many of its students.
Courtesy of http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iymHUAbQIQA&feature=relmfu
The work of the American University of Beirut Broadcast Media department.

How Much Does Smoking Cost Lebanon?

Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs in collaboration with AUB Tobacco Control Research Group held a A seminar for the launch of IFI's new research report entitled: "How Much Does Smoking Cost Lebanon? An Estimation of the Economic Impacts of Tobacco Consumption" by Mr. Rami G. Khouri (Director, IFI) Dr. Rima Nakkash (Assistant Research Professor of Public Health, AUB) Dr. Jad Chaaban (Assistant Professor of Economics, AUB).

Video courtesy of  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJ3mX31fN8A
The work of the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs, A.U.B.

 

A.U.B Steps Up

After struggling with its students for years, the American University of Beirut has been able to officially implement its no-smoking policy on campus, becoming the first university campus amongst all Lebanese universities to impose this policy. As a student of AUB, I’m proud to say that the faculties, along with the university administration have been successful at creating a safe and healthy environment for students. Those that smoke are now required to do so outside the campus or in certain designated areas on campus where smoking is allowed. Smoking outside these areas is strongly prohibited and is met with severe repercussions that are not taken easily. Security guards, as well students on duty, watch out for those breaking the new policy.

Personal Experiences...





My Aunt has been pregnant for 7 months now, and is expected to give birth in 2 months. She’s very protective over her children and pays the utmost attention to give her children all she can provide, before and after birth. Aunt Layla complains about smoking in public places in Lebanon and is conscious of the fact that second-hand smoking could be just as harmful for her baby as it can be for her, and she has not even given birth yet! And so, the solution to her, as she has explained to me, is to spend as much time possible at home as she can. “I’ve basically spent the past 7 months inside my house, and what else can I really do?” No laws ban public smoking in Lebanon, and so a innocent trip for a “fresh” breath of air could slowly lead to harmful results for her own baby. Instead, mothers decide to stay at home, locked away from the public and the harmful life’s people lead. This is just one small story of the many thousands of stories of how people in Lebanon are being negatively affected by public-smoking and the lawlessness of our government and its inability to make a difference.

Image courtesy of http://www.medindia.net/afp/images/Lifestyle-Lebanon-health-law-tobacco-95593.jpg

Not convinced? How about some shocking facts...

§  The World Health Organization (WHO) says Lebanon has one of the higest smoking rates in the world.

§  In a nation of less than 4 million people, we have not less than 3,000 tobacco-related deaths every year.

§  It is a sad misconception that the water-pipe is less harmful than the cigarette. On the contrary, it leads to much higher rates of mouth, throat, and stomach cancer, according to a study made by the American University of Beirut.

§  WHO estimates that about half of Lebanese adults smoke, yet the figure might be higher.

§  A 2001 Global Youth Survey found that Lebanon has the highest rate of smoking among school children in the Middle East.

§  Around 65% of children between the ages 13-15 smoke either cigarettes or the water-pipe, estimated by the Lebanese ministry.

§  In Lebanon, there is no minimum age to buy cigarettes.

Reference:

Elwazer, S. (2009, November 16). A smoke-free lebanon: reality or pipedream?. Retrieved from http://edition/.cnn.com/2009/world/meast/11/16/lebanon.smoking.ban/index.html.

"A smoke-free Lebanon: Reality or pipedream?" by CNN

CNN delves deep into the serious problem of smoking in lebanon. What keeps people from abiding with simple No-smoking signs? CNN speaks of Lebanon’s Culture of ‘Freedom’.

Video courtesy of http://us.cnn.com/video/?/video/world/2009/11/08/elwazer.leb.no.smoking.cnn

As reported by Schams Elwazer, CNN International.

Public Smoking in Lebanon: My Personal Opinion

Young Lebanese man publicly smoking



You enter any restaurant in Lebanon and what is the first thing you see? A cloud of smoke engulfing the entire restaurant, and people enjoying their time, unaware of the poison that surrounds them! Public smoking in Lebanon has become a serious problem, and many people are finally having the courage to speak up. Being influenced by the west, Lebanese people are finally coming to notice that public smoking is something that should be prohibited, not something to be proud of. Seeing a young man or woman smoking publicly in Lebanon is probably more likely than seeing them do anything else! This is why this blog has been created, and hopefully one day we’ll be able to announce that Lebanon, along with other countries, has declared a non-smoking policy in all public places as schools, universities, restaurants, and others.





Image courtesy of  http://www.fanoos.com/photos/photo.asp?id=827