Last week, the prices of all kinds of tobacco were doubled in the Kingdom following a decision adopted by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Majority of smokers, who felt that their pockets were singularly targeted, did not welcome this decision. While many non-smokers, who are fed up of inhaling the smoke passively, welcomed the move wholeheartedly. Like it happened when the increase in gasoline price was announced, people rushed to shops to buy as many packets of cigarettes as possible before the new price was implemented. The long lines and the overcrowding at various shops showed how deep is the problem of smoking in our society, and the rising number of smokers. Personally, I think that doubling the price is not enough as after the initial gripe from the smokers that the price of a packet is unreasonable they accept the rise with ease while cutting out on other items from their budget but not cigarettes. I wish the price of a cigarette packet were increased to SR100 or even to SR200. An addicted smoker should be harmed financially by increasing the price sharply in order to protect himself from destroying his health and most importantly the health of others. Despite the many campaigns against smoking and health seminars held by public and private groups in addition to the warnings through pictures and printed words on the packs of cigarettes that smoking is injurious to health, the smokers have increased in numbers and smoking as a habit is gripping many a youth. It looks like either they are aware of the harmful nature of smoking and ignoring it or simply blind and ignorant about it. Many believe that increasing the price of a pack of cigarette is very important because the percentage of youth who have become addicted to smoking has increased. In front of my eyes, and many times, I see young boys frequenting shops to buy cigarettes, some as young as 14 and 15 simply buy not one but two or three packs of cigarettes at a time. In the past, a young boy found the price of a packet of cigarette well within his means and could easily buy it. In addition the easy availability of cigarettes encouraged this habit. It is shocking to see children sometimes buying cigarettes from grocery shops without any obstacles or objection. Long time back when I asked the shopkeeper why he sells it to children, he told me that fathers sometimes send their children down to the store to buy it for them. Though this might be the case in some families, some youth used this as excuse to buy cigarettes for themselves. Although I wish cigarette packet prices would increase to a level that it cannot be afforded, or even banned from being imported to Saudi Arabia, it would be just wishful thinking on my part. However, drastic measures should be taken against smokers who are smoking in public areas. Though now smokers are restricted to defined smoking zones, personally, I wish that every smoking section inside any place like restaurants or a coffee place should be shut down forever and smokers are banned from smoking. I wish there was a rule that would ban smokers from smoking in public areas. The smokers, who violate the ban, should be fined heavily. In addition people should be fined for throwing cigarette butts from their cars — live or stubbed — creating another public hazard. Although we do not have accurate statistics about smoking and smokers in Saudi Arabia, the stats in the United States reveal that nearly half a million people die from smoking every year and close to 42,000 people die resulting from secondhand smoke exposure. If these huge numbers of deaths occur in a country where tough measures are taken against smokers and smoking, imagine the situation here where a smoker is free to smoke near and in front of children and sometimes under the 'No Smoking' sign. With the focus on increasing price of a pack now firmly in place, attention should be shifted toward targeting violators of smoking in public. We should be at war with smoking as a problem and violating smokers as individuals. We should have a law that states anyone smoking in the street will be fined heavily. We have people smoking near schools when they are waiting for their children. Imagine the negative effect it would have on children who will think that smoking is cool. Not to mention the scenes of smokers on TV and movies and other indirect ways to influence children. Smoking is the lead cause of cancer and deaths. Despite this fact being hammered home repeatedly, people still wield the burning tobacco stick in vanity, at first, but as a habit thereafter. This habit would have been somehow acceptable if smoking affected smokers only. But that is not the case for it is more dangerous to other people who indirectly become secondhand smokers. As innocent non-smoking people, we should not tolerate anyone smoking in public and we should pressure them to stub their cigarettes or if they had not started yet to desist from lighting up. There are people who love to defy rules and people by smoking anywhere and anytime they want. We should act now, or else the latest statistics could reveal our growing tardiness toward smokers and smoking by putting us as the No. 1 nation when it comes to smoking. And also the No. 1 nation with health issues from smoking.
— The writer can be reached at [email protected] Twitter: @anajeddawi_eng
