AMMAN - The Ministry of Health will intensify its campaign to crack down on smoking in public places starting next week, a senior government official said on Thursday.
Minister of Health Yassin Husban said the ministry has sent a circular to public institutions requesting them to implement a complete smoking ban in their buildings.
"And if they do not, we will not be lenient," he told The Jordan Times.
Smoking is a leading cause of several non-communicable diseases, including cancer and diabetes, which lead to increasing the cost of treatment due to the high prevalence of these diseases, according to the minister.
Jordanians spend around JD370 million a year on tobacco products, and smoking-related diseases cost the country almost the same amount.
In an effort to curb non-communicable diseases among Jordanians, Husban noted that another parallel campaign will be launched to encourage physical activity.
Although the Kingdom was one of the first countries in the region to enact a law that prohibits smoking in public places, it has not been enforced in full.
The Public Health Law, which prohibits smoking in public places, was implemented gradually starting in early 2009.
The law was enforced in the Kingdom's shopping malls and Queen Alia International Airport in March 2009, and in fast-food restaurants in June of the same year.
The Cabinet issued a decision to prohibit smoking in ministries and public institutions, which went into force on May 25, 2010.
As part of the campaign, the ministry's inspection teams will conduct morning and evening visits to monitor adherence to the ban in government entities, according to Malek Habashneh, director of the ministry's awareness department.
He noted that 256 violators of the smoking ban were referred to court over the past eight months, while warnings were issued to 600.
The Public Health Law also stipulates that any person caught smoking in a public place is subject to between one week and one month imprisonment or a JD15-JD25 fine. The same penalties apply to those who sell cigarettes to minors.
According to the law, smoking is prohibited in public places, such as hospitals, healthcare centres, schools, cinemas, theatres, libraries, museums, public and non-governmental buildings, public transport vehicles, airports, closed playgrounds, lecture halls and any other location to be determined by the health minister.
The ministry has also addressed the Traffic Department to intensify monitoring of motorists who smoke while driving, according to Habashneh.
"Universities are also targeted in the new campaign," he noted, adding that the ministry is planning to launch a "smoke-free university" drive in cooperation with higher education institutions.
Habashneh said the ministry will meet with representatives of Jordan Restaurants Association next week to discuss the smoking ban in restaurants, where it is being implemented gradually.
He also revealed that the ministry will train 15 doctors in June to help people quit smoking and open two clinics in the northern and southern regions for this purpose.
Currently, one clinic in Amman offers free-of-charge consultations and nicotine substitutes to smokers willing to kick the habit.
© Jordan Times 2011
