No Smoking

No Smoking 

    

        Lebanon recently joined the growing list of countries, particularly the European, that ban smoking in public places. 

Therefore, as with every law that relates to the sensitive subject of one’s freedom many people rose to abolish such a decision, whereas others embraced this positive step.

In this post I’m going to give my personal opinion on this subject. But first, we should keep in mind that the law has only been active for a couple weeks so it’s premature to deduct its impact.

Also, I’m not going to talk about the adverse health effects of smoking and especially second hand smoke: we all know, smokers included that a single cigarette has over 200 toxic substances and a chronicle smoking habit can be correlated to lung cancer.

I may not be a smoker, unlike most of my friends but that doesn’t mean in any way that I’ll be bias.

Everybody has the will and freedom to do as he pleases, that’s true and I’m a strong believer of freedom of choice.  However, when ones freedom starts hurting another member of society, questions need to be raised.

As a first step, the restaurants and most public places have to take part of the blame. You cannot put the smoking area a few feet away from the non smoking area with no wall or glass or actual barrier to separate both areas.

In this case you’re basically all sitting in the smoking area, let’s not kid ourselves. I agree with the new law on this point, you should have a clear and completely separate area for smokers, preferably outdoors. 

In family restaurants, this ban is essential to protect young children from second hand smoke and in such fast food places as MacDonald’s, Pizza hut…. The smoking ban won’t have such a negative impact on the company’s profit because I’m sure people can hold their urge to smoke for 30 min.

The big dilemma, concerns night clubs and shisha or hookah places, as we are still at the end of summer and beginning of fall, smokers can enjoy their smoke in the outdoors sections. However when winter comes a drastic solution needs to be found.

“I have the right to enjoy a cigarette” vs “if you want to poison yourself fine, but don’t force your second hand smoke on me”.

The law needs to be feasible and flexible and for those who say it will affect the economy and cause some places to lose costumers, it may be so on the short term but for the long run I think it will attract the non smoker costumers who used to avoid such places.

As a final thought, hookah places need to be regulated and a have separate section for non smokers and as for nightclubs , pubs and such an outside room can be built to enjoy a quick smoke.