No Smoking Law No 20 of year 200?.
I would be interested in hearing any comments that agree/disagree with the law which should be enforced on no smoking in public places or places of work in QAtar.
In my experience none of the locals bother taking any notice as if they are different from everybody else.
The subserviant slaves that work in the coffee shops are too scared to approach them and point out that it is a no smoking facility.
What sort of culture is developing here?
And as Asia is the up and coming continent which will have vast opportunities for employment how will Qatar and the middle east successfully lure potential employees away from their homes where eventually work will be plentiful for them in the coming years.
It may change the current way of thinking.
Every bubble will, eventually burst.
The argument FOR completely banning smoking in *all* public places is slowly & globally overtaking the protests of those who want a 'right to smoke' and request a separate smoking area. This is a different argument ... BUT
It is not 'the locals' who don't take any notice ... in many 'non-chain' coffee shops if you ask the waiter for an 'ashtray' they'll bring you a glass or cup of water - but *never* a _real_ ashtray. Sometimes they'll remind you that YOU are responsible for the fine. I've never seen anybody fined, but I'm sure it is possible.
However I agree that the people - who are generally dressed in white robes - who light up after a McDonalds in City Centre, etc are definitely flouting 'custom'. Personally, I think society in general at the moment accepts that some coffee shops allow smoking (and others don't tolerate it at all), and I accept that this will change over the next 5 years. Outside of 'Western Europe/America' if you visit somebody's house they'll bring an ashtray (whether you smoke or not) - in the UK you'd probably get shown the door if you actually dared to ask for an ashtray now! Times they are a-changing.
I well remember going (for the first time) to TGIF at Landmark and standing oustide to have a 'final cigarette' before going in, only to discover (to our great glee) that they had a smoking section.
Balance & tolerance in society ... isn't it great :)
I fully agree with this and I know it CAN work. The same laws were enforced in Sweden last year and it has made a tremendous difference. You no longer need to take a hot shower and anti-histamines after going out... It has also dramatically changed the dynamic of WHO you see out. Before there were many young adults and middle to older age men... and now you see more of a shift to families.
I would be happy to see such a law come to pass and be enforced in Qatar.
This is part of the problem in Qatar, laws and rules are not enforced. They are passed but no one follows them. The police need to enforce the rules or change them but it only makes the problem worst to ingore them.