Smoking is a widespread phenomenon in the Kingdom as it is all over the world. In order to curb this practice, the Ministry of Health has written a set of laws which will ban smoking in public places and establish fines of SR200 for those who do not obey the law. According to officials from the ministry who spoke to Okaz about the new decision, the Council of Ministers will discuss the issue in its next meeting. However, the decision has left many Saudis confused, with some of them angry at what they consider to be a restriction on their personal freedom. “Banning smoking in public is, of course, a very positive step in curbing a bad habit, but at the same time, those who smoke have their rights and should be allowed to smoke in some places without annoying others,” said Abdulaziz Al-Ta'ban, a young Saudi nurse, who has been smoking for many years. According to Al-Ta'ban, most foreign countries apply such decisions without restricting smokers' freedom. He added, “Such a decision should not be issued until the Council of Ministers and the Shoura Council announce the procedures that will be adopted.” A Saudi woman who preferred to remain anonymous said that banning smoking in public is an “undemocratic” decision. “I advise the Ministry of Health and the Shoura Council to organize a survey in malls, clinics, and public places with a view to learning what people really think,” she said. “The media also can launch a campaign by publishing a questionnaire in this regard,” she added. Ministry of Health officials have emphasized the importance of banning smoking in public and have called for additional procedures. “It is very important to reduce the number of smokers and protect the health of nonsmokers,” said Dr. Omar Al-Khuzaei, specialist in the Family Medicine Department at the Ministry of Health. Al-Khuzaei, who is working on a research paper that confirms the need to ban smoking in public, said, “I think the Ministry of Health should apply several procedures to stop smoking in public places without restricting anyone's freedom.” “In Western countries, smoking is banned in public places, but at the same time special rooms have been set up where people can smoke freely.” Smokers' rooms should be specially designed so that the air clearance is more efficient than usual, he added. According to Al-Khuzaei, if the Ministry of Health applies the correct procedures, the rights of both smokers and nonsmokers will be protected, while the present system of allowing smoking in public places is unfair. “Smokers should realize that when they smoke in public they are the ones who are denying other people their rights,” he said.
