[GOTFIVEONIT]

Child Smoking on Rise in Kingdom

Sunday, 18 November 2007

Riyadh, November 18 : About 40 percent of smokers in the Kingdom are at least 15 years old, according to the latest statistics from the Executive Council of the GCC Health Ministers as reported by Arabic daily Asharq Al-Awsat.The report also shows that 27 percent of these young smokers are of intermediate school age, while 35 percent are of secondary school age.Most of the the young smokers use their daily school allowance to buy cigarettes.

The absence of a law that bans the selling of cigarettes to children below 18 years old, and the non-existence of a system to monitor shops that sell these, have made a common sight of school boys entering school with a sandwich in one hand, and cigarettes in the other especially in the morning.

More surprising is how some schools allow the sale of cigarettes in the cafeteria. The students are usually seen smoking a few meters away - just beyond the sight of their teachers.

Muhammed Al-Zahrani, who studies psychology, said that although the problem stems from the non existence of laws banning the sale of cigarettes to children, some fathers and teachers who smoke are not exactly setting the right example on smoking either."They should be the first to quit the habit," he said.

Abdul Aziz Al-Ghamdi, a researcher in students affairs, said the Ministry of Commerce and municipalities should legislate laws to prevent groceries in all districts and cafeterias near schools from selling cigarettes to children."No wonder children in general, and schoolboys in particular can easily get cigarettes," he said.

Director General of Commercial Control of Jeddah Mayoralty Dr. Bashir Abu Al-Najm said municipal law fines cafeterias SR200-500 so that cigarettes are not sold in these.There have also been reports that groceries not only sell cigarettes to children, but also different types of "snuff" powder which can easily be hidden and used in schools by schoolboys.

Because of this, many of them are said to be suffering from different types of nose allergy, and have developed tongue and mouth tumors.The same statistics show that 13 percent of female teachers in the Kingdom are smokers. There are about 600,000 female smokers here.Annually, about 7,000 people here die from smoking, while 5,000 more die from secondhand smoke.

The King Faisal Specialist Hospital here has filed a SR14 billion case against the tobacco companies in Saudi courts for the losses in human lives as well as for the damages smoking has caused the national economy.International studies show that secondhand smoke increases the risks of coronary heart disease by 30 percent.

[Good_ol_JR]

I was always actually curious; what exactly is up with Turks/Arabs and smoking. The ones on my campus smoke as if its some sort of masturbation technique. The Saudi Sheikhs love declaring things haram, it baffles my mind why they haven't put a ban on cigaretes. Apparently females driving is a bigger danger to society. IMO its probably because half the royal family is addicted to grass.


Seriously can we like just make Mecca and Madinah their own emirates; so that Hajj is not associated with the rest of that misreble US/Israeli colony they call Yahoodi Arabia.

[Akram2]

i have seen saudi kids as young as smoking. Saudi is really messed up place.

[AmroodWaala]

[shadha]

Good_ol_JR: The ones on my campus smoke as if its some sort of masturbation technique.



And excellent post.


shadha-

[Timbit]

Gross.

Does shisha count as smoking? 'Cause lots of kid here do that regularly.

[ChotooMotoo]

Originally Posted by Timbit

Gross.

Does shisha count as smoking? 'Cause lots of kid here do that regularly.

yes, it does.

Yeah, I don't get what's so cool about a habit that makes you smell, makes your mouth taste like an ashtray (so girls won't kiss you) and makes you sick. I'm alarmed by how many ladies smoke. If it's bad for men, it's extra bad for women for a variety of reasons. Plus, what about when they get pregnant, and they can't quit?

[Timbit]

Originally Posted by ChotooMotoo

yes, it does.

Yeah, I don't get what's so cool about a habit that makes you smell, makes your mouth taste like an ashtray (so girls won't kiss you) and makes you sick. I'm alarmed by how many ladies smoke. If it's bad for men, it's extra bad for women for a variety of reasons. Plus, what about when they get pregnant, and they can't quit?

Doesn't shisha make you smell better? Like apple or strawberry or vanilla or mint?
I dunno... I've done it like twice and I don't know if it's all that bad for you, but I wouldn't make it a habit anyway 'cause I don't even see the point. Just a social thing, I guess?

But yeah, smoking's really bad for you. This student I have, a doctor from China, comes into my office one day and is like "I want to talk about smoking. So many students smoke here! Even the girls! Why?!" And I was like "I dunno... I guess they think it's cool? And now they're addicted?"

I don't think anybody's too worried about smelling or not being kissed though. Since people I know who smoke do have boy/girlfriends. *shrug*

[Deel]

why couldn't you make this thread earlier?
I just wrote a paper about the effects of smoking

Originally Posted by Good_ol_JR

I was always actually curious; what exactly is up with Turks/Arabs and smoking. The ones on my campus smoke as if its some sort of masturbation technique. The Saudi Sheikhs love declaring things haram, it baffles my mind why they haven't put a ban on cigaretes. Apparently females driving is a bigger danger to society. IMO its probably because half the royal family is addicted to grass.


Seriously can we like just make Mecca and Madinah their own emirates; so that Hajj is not associated with the rest of that misreble US/Israeli colony they call Yahoodi Arabia.

Originally Posted by Akram2

i have seen saudi kids as young as smoking. Saudi is really messed up place.

word.

[Variable]

Originally Posted by Timbit

Doesn't shisha make you smell better? Like apple or strawberry or vanilla or mint?
I dunno... I've done it like twice and I don't know if it's all that bad for you, but I wouldn't make it a habit anyway 'cause I don't even see the point. Just a social thing, I guess?

But yeah, smoking's really bad for you. This student I have, a doctor from China, comes into my office one day and is like "I want to talk about smoking. So many students smoke here! Even the girls! Why?!" And I was like "I dunno... I guess they think it's cool? And now they're addicted?"

I don't think anybody's too worried about smelling or not being kissed though. Since people I know who smoke do have boy/girlfriends. *shrug*

I read somewhere that smoking sheesha for one session is like smoking the equivalent of smoking fifty or sixty cigarettes. It was something ridiculous anyway. So, it's not good for you, but I guess if it's only once in a while...

[GOTFIVEONIT]

Originally Posted by Variable

I read somewhere that smoking sheesha for one session is like smoking the equivalent of smoking fifty or sixty cigarettes. It was something ridiculous anyway. So, it's not good for you, but I guess if it's only once in a while...

actually i have heard that hookah is far more safer than cigarettes. kids shouldnt smoke, but if your an adult you have a choice to smoke if you want to, and shouldnt be hasseled over it. ya ya, theres health risks, smokers know it, theres also health risks in just about anything you eat too. and with all the pollution out there, theres health risks in that too.

[Aryan_]

It's got nothing to do with the people of Saudi Arabia but the policies of cigarette manufacturers. It's getting harder and harder to peddle them in the west, so they're turning more and more to third world countries for profits. Countries like Saudi Arabia are the camel s*** covered equivalents of cash cows to them, there are no duties or bans on advertising.

If they ever get into any health related trouble they can easily bribe x numbers of government officials

It is filthy habit and a big turn off - chootoo is right about making out with a smoker being like licking an ashtray. But I can't complain too much, we all do bad things that we shouldn't. Besides, I enjoy the odd cigar from time to time

[GOTFIVEONIT]

Originally Posted by Aryan_

It's got nothing to do with the people of Saudi Arabia but the policies of cigarette manufacturers. It's getting harder and harder to peddle them in the west, so they're turning more and more to third world countries for profits. Countries like Saudi Arabia are the camel s*** covered equivalents of cash cows to them, there are no duties or bans on advertising.

If they ever get into any health related trouble they can easily bribe x numbers of government officials

It is filthy habit and a big turn off - chootoo is right about making out with a smoker being like licking an ashtray. But I can't complain too much, we all do bad things that we shouldn't. Besides, I enjoy the odd cigar from time to time

im having a sqaure right now lol

[Aryan_]

...

Originally Posted by GOTFIVEONIT

im having a sqaure right now lol

Enjoy it.

[GOTFIVEONIT]

Originally Posted by Aryan_

...

Enjoy it.

ya i just finished it.