Tobacco.org

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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