Head of Restaurant Syndicate Resigns over Smoking Ban, Announces Rally for Tuesday
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
The head of the restaurants syndicate in Lebanon, Paul Ariss, resigned on Friday in protest against the smoking ban that has been imposed in Lebanon, reported Voice of Lebanon radio (93.3).
He made his announcement during a during a press conference, adding that a rally for the restaurant sector employees will be held on Tuesday to protest the ban.
“The rally will be held to demonstrate the damage being incurred against the most important sector in Lebanon's economy,” he explained.
“Please allow restaurant goers and smokers to enjoy their days out within properly-studied laws,” Ariss demanded.
The protest will kick off from Sodeco in Beirut at 10:00 a.m. on October 23.
Restaurant owners had previously protested the ban, saying it will affect the country’s tourism sector.
The ban came into effect in September in accordance to Law 174, which passed a year ago.
Prime Minister Najib Miqati had stated in September that the government had highlighted the importance of the ban, adding that it also recognizes the effects it will have on the tourism sector.
“The relief brought to the citizens and civil authorities cannot be ignored however,” noted Miqati.
The National Tobacco Control Program of the Health Ministry says more than 3,500 Lebanese die each year from tobacco-related diseases.
19 October 2012, 15:10
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next year more than THAT will die from poverty due to this law. "control" where people can smoke.. fine, but the way this way carried out and implimented.. neither shows implimentational studies nor impact results.
LOVELAYYYYY!! as usual anothe FAIL on behalf of our government. As a WHOLE.. dont turn this into something political.. i mean both M8 and M14 killon bisharfouna lately.
19 October 2012, 16:08
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“Please allow restaurant goers and smokers to enjoy their days out within properly-studied laws,” Ariss demanded.
Yes, and this is what the low intended !!! there are rules to allow smoking in certain areas, so follow these rules.
At least for once, let us take the good thing from the western civilization!
19 October 2012, 21:24
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If you are willing to risk having lung cancer, pancreatitis, asthma, than my dear go have it away from people who are not willing to have it and who cherish this life beyond tobacco joy. Pollute your body without polluting everyone else body, and go do it in areas where people who enjoy smoking do it, and not in areas where people who do and do not enjoy smoking are sitting.
20 October 2012, 00:56
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you do realize that smoking bans exist in cities that are much colder than Beirut during the winter such Stockholm, London, and NYC and yet you hear no complaints from them. Furthermore there are things called outside heaters which you can use.
19 October 2012, 16:10
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A country who has most of its infrastrucure farked up, needs to turn its head toward fixing all that needs fixing. A stupid move to level 10 when level 1 to 9 are about to collapse is pretty stupid.
19 October 2012, 16:57
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any outing move from those mass murdrers is a good move. this man and his collegues are killing their employees and their clients in order to make some extra money on Arguileh!! and now they have the nerve to protest! it's really shamefull how some people mistake the population for dumb sheep,
19 October 2012, 17:47
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@FT what about those people owning restaurants that depend ONLY on hubly bubly sales? ex: that guy "sanioura" what's he supposed to do? adapt? :S ... or pubs and clubs (coming from a smoker) try having a drink sometime without a ciggy.... baleeha hal dahra ya3ne.
Families and non smokers have always bennefited from something called "non smoking area" which was ALREADY found in all restaurants.
19 October 2012, 17:47
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@FT what about those people owning restaurants that depend ONLY on hubly bubly sales? ex: that guy "sanioura" what's he supposed to do? adapt? :S ... or pubs and clubs (coming from a smoker) try having a drink sometime without a ciggy.... baleeha hal dahra ya3ne.
Families and non smokers have always bennefited from something called "non smoking area" which was ALREADY found in all restaurants.
19 October 2012, 17:49
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correction "al saniour" i think that hubly chain is called.. not SANIOURA LOLLLLL
19 October 2012, 18:38
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I'm sorry are some of you idiots actually FOR smoking in public closed areas? So, I need to inhale your cancer just so that you can smoke your cig so you can control your urges?
maybe you all need to take a look at how things work in north america and europe. there's a ban EVERYWHERE and it's awesome!
so stop wining about your silly cigs, and do something productive! Like sports, playing music, writing a book, travelling..
pathetic..
20 October 2012, 01:00
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you do realize the ban isnt meant to forbid smoking entirely. it's simply a ban of smoking in enclosed spaces which is the law in basically most industrialized major cities.
19 October 2012, 19:00
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yah because its smoking bans that will kill the economy not the explosions and attacks we do on our own people every day that cause that. every civilized country has a law like this. whats killing the economy is when civilized people try to visit our country and then they leave with asthma. its time something like this is passed. and yet people will smoke at the airport while waiting for their bag having a conversation with immigration officer.
19 October 2012, 19:21
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It reminds me of the US--they save you from having your twelve-year-old child in the front seat of your car with you because of the one-in-a-million chance of a head-on collision in which the air-bag kills the child, but then they pass a law to arrest you for "links" to terrorists and send you away forever without a word, and the news media and the courts all say, "Amen." The funny thing is that the two cases, yours and mine, have one thing in common: Israel, a state that is racist by its own definition. At least Lebanon and the US have not quite gone that far. Is there a move to ban Shiism in the works? I mean, ban Shiites? So why do the people put up with this stuff? Answer: they don't. They're waiting. Anger waits. Resentment forgets. Let's check the score: smoking ban? Check. Car bomb? Check. Meanwhile in the US, the voters are facing the choice in the presidential race between Israel's goodwill ambassador and its goodwill ambassador.
19 October 2012, 19:27
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Good riddance.
Myself and many smokers love the law and I hope it sticks! Why should we all suffer because of other people's addiction to cigarettes?
19 October 2012, 19:29
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Agreed with you FT - It is great to be able to go out and not smell like the inside of a shoe (after a long day of walking and sweating :p ) because of somebody's urge/need to light up and smoke a cigarette.
19 October 2012, 20:12
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simple solution: create tough regulation to create 2 spaces within the restaurant, one for smokers, and one for non-smokers, BUT (big BUT) the smokers are eitrher upper floor, or deep inside, not ground floor or in main central space, so not to affect the rest of the restaurant. I lived in Tokyo for 7 years, all cafes and resots are done this way, and everybody is happy.
19 October 2012, 20:36
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Hezbollah bloc to oppose any changes to smoking law: Qassem October
19, 2012 01:48 PM The Daily Star
Hezbollah Deputy Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem described the recent implementation of a smoking ban in public places as a great accomplishment and said his bloc would refuse any amendments to the legislation.
Earlier this month Lebanese Forces MP Antoine Zahra proposed urgent amendments to the smoking ban which went into effect in September and called on the
It appears Al Quieda isnt the only terrorist group that does bodily harm to those who smoke or pursue repealing smoking bans. In Iraq the Iraquis thu out Al quieda when they started cutting off hands,ears,noses etc for not obeying al quiedas smoking ban they then joined with the Americans,however 3 years later Secretary of state Hitlery Clinton by direction from Obama forced a nationwide smoking ban thru the Iraqi government with threats of lost moneys if they didnt do it!
19 October 2012, 22:16
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every western country in the world has implemented that law and restaurants and clubs and bars are full. You say lebanese dont want to go out to smoke a cigarette when its raining? Canadians do that in -15C. Americans, french german EVERYone in the free world has to go out to smoke a cigarette.
The arrogant Lebanese people need to get used to that, they wont die of it.
19 October 2012, 23:50
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Dounia: "every western country in the world has implemented that law and restaurants and clubs and bars are full."
Pray, which fantasy world do you live in Dounia? Many, many pubs, bars and clubs and yes, even restaurants, have closed in large numbers in countries all over the world since the introduction of smoking bans. Your comment is complete nonsense!
