Source: The National Newspaper (ae)
Date: 2010-02-12
Author: Michael Karam

I do not have the figures to hand but we are among the heaviest,
if not the heaviest, smokers per capita in the world. (The
Cypriots claim to smoke a lot, but I have never noticed it.) Riad
Salameh, the governor of the Lebanese central bank, is a famous
puffer, the prime minister Saad Hariri is also known to partake.

The list of high-profile Lebanese who spark up is endless and
the message simple: the rest of the world might have moved on
from such unhealthy and anti-social decadence, but in Lebanon a
cigar still conveys power, sophistication and affluence.

It helps that Lebanon is a great place to smoke, because, like
most of Lebanese life, there are no boundaries.

Cigar smokers will often puff away throughout dinner at
restaurants without caring a jot for their fellow diners. . . .



Cynics like me, who scoffed upon hearing of a smoking ban, were
reminded by earnest anti-smoking advocates of a similar edict in
Gaza that has been in place since December 15.

Quite how successful this ban has been is still unclear, as one
would have felt the long-term effects of tobacco inhalation would
not be a priority in a city that is constantly levelled by the
Israeli air force. Still, good on Hamas for trying.

Staying with health concerns, if you believe World Health
Organisation statistics, the Lebanese are on average more likely
to die from smoking related illnesses (3,000 per year) than from
road accidents (600 per year).

I am not convinced and I defy anyone, especially those who have
gone toe-to-toe with the grim reaper on Lebanon\'s apocalyptic
road network, to tell me that implementing a smoking ban is more
urgent than tightening up traffic laws.