Ban on smoking in public places

JEDDAH: The decision to ban smoking in ministries, government departments and public places issued by Minister of Interior Prince Ahmed would help cut the number of smokers by about 60 percent, and the number of drug addicts by about 30 percent, said Deputy Director Solaiman Al-Zaidi of the Amal hospital in Jeddah.
The decision also banned smoking in closed places, coffee shops, restaurants, open shopping centers and crowded places.
In statements published yesterday by local daily Al-Madinah, Al-Zaidi said it was every citizen and expatriate’s duty to implement this decision and to report violators.
“As Saudi citizens, we are very proud of the care and concern given by our leadership to the public health of our country. Saudi Arabia is among the top countries which have made the fight against smoking among its top priorities,” he added.
Al-Zaidi asked government departments to create a unified mechanism for the implementation of this decision. He also suggested that violators should be fined and the money collected be used to establish more centers to fight smoking.
He also asked all shops selling cigarettes to strictly abide by the decision not to sell cigarettes to young men under 19. Asked how the decision would help cut the number of drug addicts by about 30 percent, Al-Zaidi said most narcotics users were originally cigarette smokers.
“Many of them would pretend to be smoking cigarettes while actually they filled them with narcotics,” he explained.