Why did "Ain't No Smoking 2nite" fail?

If you remember, there was going to be a "Non-smoking night" in Gemmayze in about 35 pubs yesterday October 28th. More here. Being a non-smoking advocate myself I asked several friends of mine about their encounters yesterday in several pubs in Gemmayze and their opinions. They said that most of them had people smoking inside although these pubs were supposed to be part of the "Ain't no smokin 2nite" campaign that was organized by Rotaract.

There were people smoking even in pub-restaurants such as Olio. You would think that they would be busy stuffing themselves instead of smoking.

A friend of mine even told me this: "There was also one pub that had a sign that said Smoking Friendly"

Another friend said only few of the pubs stuck to the campaign, one of them was Berlin. But the others allowed people to smoke.

There are several studies done around the world, in Europe and in the US, saying that banning smoking in public places has decreased the number of deaths caused by smoking! But why should we believe scientists right?

My favorite smoker's argument is this: "Why should I forbid myself from smoking, so what if I die 10 years earlier, at least I would've done something I enjoy!"

So basically, the 10 years prior to that when you have lung cancer is enjoyable?

There is a new article today suggesting that Lebanon must move to ban smoking, Syria did? Are they better than us?

What I don't understand is why do Lebanese people stick to rules abroad, but tend to be anarchists in Lebanon? And anarchist for what? For telling you not to smoke because it endangers your life and the life of the strange people that are beside you and you have no right to bother them?

Smoking bothers me as much as if someone was picking their nose or playing with their toes, so why should I be okay with them when they smoke? Bala 2arafkoun! I don't mind people smoking, I just do when it's a closed place and when I am eating, is it too much to ask for? some oxygen and to actually be able to taste the food?

Congratulations fellow Lebanese on one of your other lousy sense of humanity, logic and respect. Kudos! Ya3tikoun el 3afieh. I am glad I didn't go to Gemmayze because if I did and had found people smoking, I would've probably caused a scene.

Finally, why did those hypocrite pubs sign into this campaign if they were going to act like a cheating newly wed red-eyed husband?

Sign Petition to pass an electoral law to ban smoking in public places here.

Ain t no smokin 2nite at Gemmayze on 28 Oct

35 pubs and restaurants in Gemmayze street are participating so far in the Rotaract campaign "Ain't no smokin 2nite". The event will take place on October 28th.

The below poster was designed by a fellow blogger Maya Zankoul



You can check the facebook event page here.

Smoking bans cut heart attacks

If you are a smoker, the single biggest thing you can do to avoid a heart attack is to give up, which could also protect the heart health of friends and family.

Yep, this is what another new article (which a fellow twitterer linked to us) on how beneficial smoking bans have been on the UK population. Many people in Europe protested on having closed public places smoke-free, many smoke, what are they going to do if not smoke? Apparently, plenty. Just how you get used to smoking non-stop, you can get used to spending 3 to 4 hours in a pub or cafe, not smoking. On top of all that, studies are showing that:

Bans on smoking in public places have had a bigger impact on preventing heart attacks than ever expected, data shows.

Check out the percentage of the risk decrease:

based on the results of numerous different studies collectively involving millions of people, indicated that smoking bans have reduced heart attack rates by as much as 26% per year.

Anyway you can read the full article here. However this doesn't stop here, when will smoking bans take place in closed places in Lebanon? Roadster's? Schtroumph? Hickey's? Porto? Dice? Spoon? Copper? Gauch Caviar? El Gardel? Venue? Gem? etc... Why don't you start with a non-smoking night per week.

Don't forget that second hand smoking kills, so when you don't smoke, you're also being courteous if not killing other people around you.

Things I've written in the past about this dream of a smoking ban in Lebanon.

I dream of the day Smoking is banned in public places in Lebanon

It's a dream indeed. Meanwhile, all we ask is for the smokers to respect those who don't smoke in a restaurant for example. I am not saying pub, am not sayin night club, just restaurant where I want to eat my meal without the smoke going through my nostrils.

2 weeks ago, we were in a restaurant inside a mall. We had ordered our food and were waiting for them. When 2 women come and sit on the table on our right. So far so good. Suddenly, one of them lit a cigarette and all the smoke came towards me, allowing me to inhale the healthy air. So we kindly asked her if they can put it off or switch places between each other. So the woman ignores us and asks the waiter whether this was a smoking or non-smoking place. By default, most of the places in Lebanon are pro-smoking, so he nods. Then she looks our way and says:
- "Change your places if you're bothered".

Of course, I answered back, but long story short, they stayed, the waiter suggested another table, I refused, told him we got here first and we like our table and if anyone should move to another table it's them. In the end, nothing changed, except I got a Tiramissu for free.

Anyway, check out this article here, they're saying after a study that lasted 3 years, that the smoking ban helped decrease the percentage of hospitalized heart attack by 41%.

Banning smoking in public places in Lebanon

That would be a dream come true. One thing I enjoyed while being in Paris is that when I left restaurants and pubs, I did not smell like an ashtray!

There is one Pub in Gemmayze that actually is doing a "nice" gesture if we may call it, a small stepping stone to maybe one day having pubs and restaurants in Lebanon smoke free. But you see Lebanon is not just about cigarettes, cigarillos, cigars and pipes, it's also about Arguileh (a widely spread addiction in Lebanon) aka Hubly bubbly!?

Anyway, the pub's name is GODOT, and it is smoke free every Wednesdays! Kudos for GODOT! Hope more pubs will join it on this action.

More on Bloomberg and Gates fighting smoking to help the world quit smoking here. I love Bill Gates!