Tobacco.org

AL-SAMARI: Smoking and young people 

We must identify the basic cause of the spread of the evil habit. It is the direct result of the freedom given to the tobacco sellers in the Kingdom. A free market economy does not care for people's health; its concern is making money. The tobacco importers and their foreign collaborators are doing their best to earn enormous profits while, at the same time, ignoring the fact that they are endangering peoples' health. . .

The efforts at governmental and non-governmental levels to combat smoking have never been strong enough to counter the challenges of the international tobacco conglomerates and their local agents. The administrative will to put up a strong fight against the tobacco menace is also lacking. The authorities have not done enough to stop the growth of tobacco sales. Heavy taxes should be levied on cigarettes sold in the Kingdom; the cost of smoking here should be as high as it is in any advanced country. The extra revenue from the sales could be used for treating tobacco-related diseases and for establishing centers to promote non-smoking.

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