Knowledge Sharing Workshop on Tobacco Control Policies for OIC Member States
SESRIC jointly organised in collaboration with the Ministry of Health of Turkey and the Turkish Green Crescent Society the “Knowledge Sharing Workshop on Tobacco Control Policies for OIC Member States ” in Istanbul, Turkey on 14-16 December 2016.
On 17 August 2011, the Lebanese Parliament adopted a new tobacco-control act. The most important provisions of the act include: a complete ban on smoking in all closed public places such as restaurants, cafes and public transport; a ban on tobacco companies from conducting any kind of advertising or sponsorship campaigns; and a warning that covers 40% of cigarette packs. Fines for non-compliance with the new smoke-free regulations will be applied to both the owners and the smokers themselves. The law gives owners of hospitality establishments one year to prepare for the upcoming ban on smoking in closed spaces. More than 3500 Lebanese die each year from tobacco-related diseases.
Member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have agreed to put graphic warnings on tobacco packages starting in August 2012. The law to be enforced by the six-nation GCC (United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman) includes graphic warnings on boxes of tobacco used in hookah pipes and other smoking tools.