Amidst The Rubble-Iraq Imposes Smoking Ban

More Iraqi civilians have died as a result of smoking than by mortar fire and shellings.  Smoking kills an average of 55 Iraqis a day, compared to a average of ten deaths per day from terrorist shootings or bombings.

Israel, Jordan and Qatar have already prohibited smoking in public places.

The new ban, being reviewed by the Iraqi parliament has suggested a ban on smoking in all government, school and other public sector buildings. The goal is to forbid smoking as well in offices, cafes and on public transport. Many Iraqis are angered saying the government should focus on getting them electricity and jobs rather than imposing the ban on their private activities. If caught, Iraqis would be forced to pay over 4,000 US dollars in fines for violating the law.

“The purpose…is to protect the people from the social, health, environmental and economic risks of smoking,” said government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh.

The World Health Organization estimates that more than 41% of Iraqi men and nearly 7% of women are smokers. Farhan Haq, from the United Nations Spokesperson’s office said “the United Nations has imposed a full smoking ban at Headquarters and the recent WHO report clearly underscores the dangers of smoking.”

The smoking ban seems to have hit the US military working in Iraq.

A new proposal to ban smoking in the United States military is also now being reviewed with a goal to promote a tobacco-free environment. The study, completed in June this year by the Institute of Medicine at the National Academy of Sciences says tobacco use impairs military readiness and causes serious health problems, including lung cancer and cardiovascular disease.

Both the Pentagon and the Veterans Affairs Department would like to see the proposal eliminate smoking in the next 10-20 years. Smoking has increased 50 percent by US military personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan. Some skeptics of the proposal suggest smoking helps soldiers deal with post traumatic stress disorder and eases stress during deployment.