Syria
Syrians love their tobacco but the president is clearly less keen on it.
A recent Presidential Decree has now banned smoking in public places except for cafes with designated outside smoking areas or indoor ventilation.
The move follows previous attempts by Syria’s government to curb smoking including a 1996 decree banned tobacco advertising and a 2006 ban on smoking in government offices and public transport.
Neither of these has proved particularly effective as Syrians often choose to flout the regulations and enforcement has proven to be lax.
Under the most recent decree, restaurants and hotel owners ignoring the ban face fines of up to SP40,000 (US$900) and for smokers SP2,000 for each offence. Over 5 million Syrians are thought to be smokers, and first impressions indicate a large degree of antipathy towards the new regulations. Some claim the new decree is “illegal” and smokers will continue to light up where they choose regardless.
Syria is the latest Arab nation to impose such sanctions on smokers as governments in the region tighten the screws on smokers.
