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• VIDEO: A smoke-free Lebanon: Reality or pipedream?  

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

* Lebanon has one of the highest smoking rates in the world, according to WHO

* No minimum age to buy cigarettes; 65 percent of 13-15 year old boys smoke

* Anti-smoking guru Dr G Saade says patients with smoking-related diseases getting younger

* Lebanese unlikely to give up the weed easily as they associate smoking with freedom . . .

In restaurants and cafes, on the streets, in the airport and even in elevators, Lebanese delight in lighting up. The World Health Organization (WHO) says Lebanon has one of the highest smoking rates in the world.

"We are a tobacco-friendly society," says cardiologist Dr. Georges Saade, a former WHO official who now heads the Tobacco Control Project at Lebanon's Ministry of Public Health.

Dr. Saade is a committed anti-smoking campaigner and for years he's fought an uphill battle for funding to increase awareness of the risks of smoking.

The ministry estimates that if attitudes towards smoking don't change, this small nation of four million will experience at least 3,000 tobacco-related deaths each year.

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• Editorial - Lebanon has yet to tackle killer smoke 

Even though many other countries have already passed Lebanon by on the issue, and even though a conference blooming with well-meaning rhetoric is no guarantee of future action, it certainly was praiseworthy for the Health Ministry and its National Tobacco Control Program to agitate last week for a comprehensive ban on smoking in public places.

Before even addressing the stale arguments over whether a ban would encroach on personal freedom, a prohibition makes sense purely to keep more humans alive and cut health-care expenses from this country's already catastrophic budget . . .

In case any doubt remains over the meaning of universal protection, we only have to note the smoking bans lately adopted in Bahrain, Syria, Israel, Iraq, Qatar, Turkey and the UAE. Put another way, Lebanon has now fallen behind all those countries on a major human-rights issue - yes, Lebanon has fallen behind Syria in liberating its citizens to be free of murderous second-hand smoke in public places.

But we here in our glass house at The Daily Star should not be the first to cast stones. To illustrate the hurdles a welcome and overdue ban would face, we at the newspaper enjoy a smoke-free work environment - until 9 p.m. Even this would-be watchdog of the public interest seems to respect human rights only some of the time.

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• Cheap tobacco driving youth to become smokers 

Lebanese health experts calling for a comprehensive smoking ban have been given additional impetus to their cause after a major international public affairs magazine published a major study warning youth smoking rates were increasing dangerously. In a report published earlier this month by the Economist Intelligence Unit with sponsorship from international pharmaceutical company Pfizer, researchers warned that cheap and easily accessible tobacco was driving Lebanon's youth to take up smoking, a habit many will continue into adulthood.

The 28-page report, entitled "Tomorrow's regular customers? Stamping out tobacco use in the Middle East and Africa," also noted that while many countries were now introducing smoking bans in public places, the developing world was seeing a steady increase in smokers, accounting for some 70 percent of the world's total smokers in 2005, compared to about 40 percent in 1970.

The developing world will thus pay the highest price for tobacco use: the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that by 2030, 80 percent of tobacco-related deaths will occur in low- to middle-income countries, the report said.

In Lebanon, over 3,500 people die each year because of tobacco exposure at a cost of around $900 million, according to the Health Ministry.

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Lebanon 'must move' to ban smoking 

Lebanon must move urgently toward a comprehensive ban on smoking in public places, tobacco advertising and event sponsorship, and add warning labels to tobacco products in order to avoid thousands of preventable tobacco-related deaths annually, health experts said Wednesday. Speaking at a tobacco control workshop for journalists organized by the Health Ministry's National Tobacco Control Program, health officials said around 3,500 people in Lebanon die each year from diseases associated with smoking or exposure to second-hand smoke. The figures suggest, more people in Lebanon die from tobacco than tuberculosis, pneumonia, HIV/AIDS and car accidents combined.

Lebanon "should implement the same measures being taken in other countries as soon as possible," said Health Minister Mohammad Jawad Khalifeh, referring to the total smoking ban already in place in dozens of countries across the world.

He said a comprehensive smoking ban in public places, coupled with strict regulation of the tobacco industry and health warning labels on tobacco products were proving effective in reducing the number of smokers and tobacco-related deaths.

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• Lebanon 'must move' to ban smoking 

Lebanon must move urgently toward a comprehensive ban on smoking in public places, tobacco advertising and event sponsorship, and add warning labels to tobacco products in order to avoid thousands of preventable tobacco-related deaths annually, health experts said Wednesday. Speaking at a tobacco control workshop for journalists organized by the Health Ministry's National Tobacco Control Program, health officials said around 3,500 people in Lebanon die each year from diseases associated with smoking or exposure to second-hand smoke. The figures suggest, more people in Lebanon die from tobacco than tuberculosis, pneumonia, HIV/AIDS and car accidents combined.

Lebanon "should implement the same measures being taken in other countries as soon as possible," said Health Minister Mohammad Jawad Khalifeh, referring to the total smoking ban already in place in dozens of countries across the world. . . .

Some 75 percent of children are subject to second-hand smoke exposure, increasing their chances of suffering from asthma, chronic bronchitis, eye and ear infections, potentially fatal lung and respiratory illnesses, and cot death.

Lebanon's lax approach to tobacco control is straining its health sector, Khalifeh said: "We spend $900 million [annually] to treat heart and lung diseases caused by tobacco exposure."

Even eating out can be a deadly experience, said Dr. Georges Saade, the Health Ministry's Tobacco Control Program's coordinator. A survey of 30 pubs and restaurants in Lebanon found the levels of tobacco smoke pollution to be dramatically higher than World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations of less than 15 micrograms cubed per day.

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• Gemmayzeh to go smoke-free for one night 

There are now smoking bans in place in over 70 countries across the world, but in Lebanon, where smokers seem to vastly outnumber nonsmokers, there have been no such efforts to curb tobacco use. In fact, Lebanon seems to be something of a smoker's safe haven. Gemmayzeh, arguably Beirut's most popular bar and restaurant district, will on Wednesday host its second smoke-free night this year in a bid to raise awareness on the dangers of tobacco.

Following the success of a no-smoking night in February, volunteers from the Beirut Metropolitan and Sahel Metn Rotaract Clubs decided to organize another to urge Lebanese authorities to encourage tobacco-free habits across the country. "We're looking for sustainability in this campaign," said Saiid Saber, a Rotaract volunteer.

"Our objective is to have regular smoke-free nights in all areas and in the long-term, to present a draft law to Parliament which restricts smoking in public places." The clubs have also drawn up an online petition urging Lebanon to ban smoking in public places.

Saber said that although Beirut is a signatory to the World Health Organization's (WHO) 2005 Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, it has failed to ratify the document and has done little to enforce it.

"Here things have been done in slow motion," he

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• Talking To: Public Health expert Rima Nakkash  

Rima Nakkash, assistant research professor at the American University of Beirut’s Faculty of Health Sciences, is heading a project to study smoke-free policies in Lebanon. The project, funded by the International Development Research Center-Research in International Tobacco Control (IDRC-RITC) in Canada, aims to publish findings that can then influence the decisions of policymakers in Lebanon.

NOW Lebanon asked Nakkash about the research project, the prevalence of smoking in Lebanon and effective policies for tobacco control.

How prevalent is smoking in Lebanon, compared to regional and international countries?

Nakkash: [The two most prominent reports] are the worldwide Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) which examines self-reported smoking behavior among 13 to 15 year-olds in Lebanon, and the Mpower report by the World Health Organization. There is no nation-wide census in Lebanon, but cross-sectional studies show that the prevalence of smoking among the overall population, and in particular among youth and women, is very high.

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Farmers demand more pay for tobacco harvest 

NABATIEH: Southern farmers have begun flocking to the fields to secure their primary source of income with the advent of the tobacco harvesting season. The tobacco plant, or the “bitter plant soaked in sweat and blood” as farmers like to call it, is predominantly grown in south Lebanon where it represents the main source of in­come for around 16,500 families.

The history of the tobacco plant in Lebanon remains obscure, with some saying that Italians first introduced the plant to the country in 1598, while others suggest that it arrived during the reign of Emir Fakhr al-Din II in 1625.

Yet whatever its origins, today almost 25,000 Lebanese families earn their living from the plant, working over 10 million square meters of land for an annual income for each family of about $2,400.

However, southern farmers are now demanding an increase in the allowed annual production rate from 5 million kilograms per year to 7 million kilograms, as well as a hike in tobacco prices. They are also asking to benefit from the National Social Security Fund and to have their farming licenses renewed.

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• Middle East governments losing US$162 million in tobacco excise taxes each year 

Starting today, British American Tobacco Middle East is hosting a two-day conference for key stakeholders across the region to help tackle the issue of illicit tobacco trade. Taking place in Beirut, Lebanon, the conference will shed light on different experiences in combating illicit trade of tobacco products across the region.

The opening ceremony is being attended by key figures including the Lebanese Minister of Finance Dr Mohammed Shateh, as well as customs and other government entities; and their counterparts from Jordan, Syria and Yemen as well as members of the top management team of British American Tobacco Middle East.

Over two days, the conference is looking at key issues including combating illicit trade; the impact of tax on illicit trade; country specific experiences including Lebanon, Yemen, Syria and Jordan. British American Tobacco Middle East is sharing its experience and knowledge of tackling illicit trade in the tobacco sector, as well as facts and figures on the size and scale of the issue, how the company is combating the problem, and its views on the World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) Protocol on Anti Illicit Trade.

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• AUB team conduct research to help snuff out nargileh and cigarette smoking 

A team of AUB faculty members and researchers have been all fired up about the pioneering studies they have been conducting to help snuff out the unhealthy habit of smoking in Lebanon.

In particular, the team has spearheaded studies on the health effects and mechanism of nargileh smoking, and on the importance of warning labels on water-pipe tobacco.

Under the umbrella of AUB's Tobacco Control Research Group, which was established in 1999, academics from a variety of disciplines, including public health, engineering, medicine, and chemistry, have been producing top-notch research material to help policy-makers in Lebanon enhance the effectiveness of their policies on tobacco control.

"Through our research projects, we hope to help policy-makers identify and overcome local barriers to implementing non-smoking policies," said Assistant Research Professor Rima Nakkash from the Department of Public Health and a member of the group. "We have now compiled enough research data to allow us to move into disseminating information and raising awareness as well as policy advocacy."

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• Gemmayzeh pubs host non-smoking night 

There was something amiss in a number of Gemmayzeh's pubs on Thursday night: the heavy cloud of cigarette smoke that normally hovers above client's head was no where to be smelt. A quick survey around the bar indicated that neither were the ashtrays or smokers. With confused-looking smokers relegated to the street curb, the air in some of Gemmayzeh's best-loved bars was sweet as a stuffy room crammed with drinkers possibly could be.

The campaign creating so much panic among Beirut's nicotine addicts was initiated by volunteers from the Beirut and Sahel Metn Rotaract Clubs. Both smokers and non-smokers came together to promote the need for tobacco-free nights in Beirut's watering holes and restaurants, and to push policy-makers to promote non-smoking habits across Lebanon. Around 30 establishments participated in the campaign, tacking up "Ain't no smoking tonight" posters on their doors and politely asking clients who did attempt to light up to do so outside. . . .

Lebanon has the highest smoking rate in the world, and consequently one of the highest cancer rates. Anti-smoking legislation, now a fact of life in most European countries, is virtually non-existent in Lebanon. The tobacco industry here thrives, helped along by minimal taxation and bar and club sponsorships.

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• Tobacco studies win Hamdan prize  

Recently, his breathing became so laboured he responded to a get-help ad in the newspaper.

He called the Syrian Centre for Tobacco Studies, an organisation dedicated to raising awareness about the dangers of smoking. . . .

Founded in 2002, the clinic consists of three rooms jammed with medical equipment. Patients smoke water pipes while doctors monitor their vital signs.

It is here Mr Yareen receives counselling for his addiction. But this personal battle is part of a much greater war to end Syria's love affair with smoking. And the world has noticed. Through research, health campaigns and collaborations with hospitals in Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt and the United States, the centre has been recognised with the Hamdan Award for best medical institute in the Arab world.

From this small office, researchers have worked with the American University in Beirut to study the harmful effects of water pipe smoking; Jordan University to investigate smoking among youth; John Hopkins University in the United States to research Arab children's exposure to second-hand smoke; and the University of Newcastle in the United Kingdom to study the determinants of women's health in poor cities in Syria.

The centre is supported by a five-year grant from the US National Institutes of Health.

Abdulla bin Souqat, the director of the Hamdan Awards, said the Syrian Centre is a rallying force that works to dispel strong misconceptions associated with smoking.

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AUB fair highlights importance of fitness, wellbeing  

The American University of Beirut (AUB) held a two-day Wellness Fair on Thursday and Friday which aimed at raising awareness among the AUB community about the importance of staying fit, eating right, and thinking well. . . .

The Wellness Fair included an exhibit which featured booths from AUB's Charles W. Hostler Center, the dietary and nutrition department, family medicine, nursing services, physical therapy, school of nursing, and the wellness program. The exhibit also included non-AUB exhibitors such as the Art of Living (stress management organization), I Quit Smoking (smoking cessation company), Le Coin Dietetique (center for organic and healthy food), the Nutrition and Diet Center, and Umm al-Nour Organization (a rehabilitation and drug prevention center).

The second day of the workshop included a series of lectures given by specialists on healthy diets, exercise, CPR, weight loss, the dangers of tobacco and tobacco companies, stress management, drug addiction, and ways to quit smoking.

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Hezbollah gains clout in Lebanon _ but at a cost  

AITA AL-SHAAB, Lebanon - In this dusty village on the front lines of Israel's 2006 war with Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed guerrilla group looks as strong as ever. But even as it reaches the zenith of its power in Lebanon, Hezbollah is generating new perils along the way.

Tales of heroism by Hezbollah fighters still make the rounds in Aita al-Shaab, the streets are adorned with portraits of the group's "martyrs," and yellow Hezbollah flags fly from lampposts. Villagers, still rebuilding from the devastation of the war, profess unswerving devotion to the Shiite Muslim group and its charismatic leader, Hassan Nasrallah.

"I am 90, but if they ask me to fight Israel, I will," said Hassan Marai, a tobacco farmer.

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• Smoking ban on AUB's campus sees lax compliance 

Since May 15, AUB has officially been a smoke-free campus except for designated areas. But despite the move and recent public smoking bans in Turkey and across the EU, AUB students - and the rest of Lebanon - show no sign of stopping any time soon.

According to a 2007 Gallup poll, 41 percent of Lebanese said they'd smoked the day before. Only the Turks smoked more.

"It's in the culture. Everyone smokes, the classiest people smoke, the politicians smoke," says Rony Qiameh, a Lebanese-Canadian student at AUB. "The cigarette is probably the only thing that connects the high class and the low class." . . .

Makhoul believes that the ban will eventually become accepted and something of a non-issue. "They had a problem enforcing no smoking in classrooms. Now it's accepted university wide that smoking is not allowed in classrooms."

Despite the inevitable complaints that will follow any attempt to restrict their smoking, some students aren't particularly bothered by the ban.

"This is a minor problem in the Middle East right now," Qiameh says.

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