ISO 9001:2008 CERTIFIED NEWSPAPER 9 March 2013 27 Rabial II 1434 - Volume 18 Number 5633 Price: QR2 ON SATURDAY Shifting priorities delaying Qatari marriages: Expert DOHA: Qataris do not marry at the right age not because of huge dowries but due to a shift in their priorities caused by the changing Qatari society, says an expert. “Expensive dowry is not the main rea- son for marriage delays among Qatari men and women, since Qataris are rich and can afford it,” Dr Abdulhamid Al Ansari, dean of College of Shariah at Qatar University, told a local Arabic daily. There appears to be a trend in which Qataris want to get settled in life first before getting married, and in the case of women, they first want to finish higher edu- cation, Dr Al Ansari told Al Raya. See also page 3 Mosque cleaners plead for weekly day off DOHA: Many workers responsible for cleaning state-run mosques and toilets therein claim they do not get weekly day off. Some of them told The Peninsula yester- day that they worked seven days a week, 365 days a year, without being given any break. The recently revised work schedule has worsened their condition, the stressed workers said, adding they were not getting GOING UP IN sufficient time to finish their work. Full report on page 3 Syria shelling halts UN bid to rescue peacekeepers DAMASCUS: A UN convoy attempting to pick up 21 Filipino peacekeepers whom their Syrian rebel captors had agreed to free was forced back by a barrage of army shelling yesterday, a watchdog said. In New York, the United Nations said efforts to secure the peacekeepers would resume today. “Arrangements were made with all par- ties for the release of the 21 peacekeep- THE ISSUE ers,” said UN peacekeeping spokeswoman Josephine Guerrero, “but due to the late hour and the darkness it was considered The magnitude of tobacco use “But that’s only the direct cost of tobacco 58,000 tobacco users, there is one inspector, unsafe to continue the operation. Efforts use in the country,” argues Al Mulla, talking which, according to observers, is a laughable will continue tomorrow.” in the country is alarming: If we Abraham Augusthy of the amount spent on the killer habit. “We ratio. And that explains why smokers defiantly See also page 4 believe the experts, no less than have to consider the indirect costs as well. Take carry on with their habit in places like cafete- 700,000 people may be addicted the example of treating tobacco users suffering rias in malls and hypermarkets as there are Design: to the dangerous habit. According from different diseases due to their dangerous hardly any checks. Global leaders, celebrities habit.” There are an additional 30 volunteer inspec- to Dr Ahmed Al Mulla, head of Then there are fires caused by people light- tors to curb smoking in public places, but the honour Chavez at funeral the anti-smoking clinic of Hamad ing up in public and at home and due to live fact that the anti-smoking law is so flagrantly CARACAS: Venezuela gave Hugo Chavez Medical Corporation, it is roughly cigarette butts carelessly discarded by smok- violated, at least in the bigger shopping com- a lavish farewell yesterday at a state ers. “These are all costs that are incurred only plexes, shows how ineffective they are in their funeral that brought some of the world’s estimated that some 37 percent because of smoking, and we estimate these indi- role. most notorious strongmen to tears, with of the country’s population could rect costs may not be less, if not more, than the Anti-smoking campaigners are now banking music, prayers and a fiery speech by his direct expenditure on tobacco use.” on a draft law which, they believe, would see successor. be addicted to various forms of And, of late, what has been worrying anti- a rise in the number of inspectors and arm More than 30 heads of state paid tribute tobacco. smoking campaigners in the country is a them with more powers to discharge their to the leftist firebrand president as his body gradual increase in the number of shisha duty, aside from prescribing prohibitive fines lay in state in a flag-covered coffin at a mili- l Mulla, whose clinic has met with users, which includes youngsters — women for violators. tary academy, bringing the curtain down remarkable success in fighting the not excluded. According to Al Mulla, efforts are also on on a 14-year reign that divided his nation. menace of tobacco addiction — among Notably, whereas tobacco users in Qatar are to set up a civil society group dedicated solely Chavez died this week at age 58 after Aadults as well as youngsters — says a estimated to number 700,000, there are just a to fighting the menace of tobacco use in the a two-year battle with cancer, devastat- whopping QR1.68bn ($460m) is spent annually dozen health inspectors armed with judicial country. ing millions of mostly poor supporters who PAGEby people on smoking 6 and chewing tobacco. powers to curb the menace in public places, “We have applied and we are waiting for loved him for putting the country’s vast oil With the country’s population increasing, the where smoking is banned by a law that came approval,” Al Mulla told this newspaper yes- wealth at their service, but giving hope to number of tobacco users has been going up, and into force a little more than a decade ago. terday, speaking about the proposed NGO. foes who saw him as a dictator. so has been expenditure on tobacco. This, in other words, means that for every See also page 2 See also page 9 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com [email protected] | [email protected] Editorial: 4455 7741 | Advertising: 4455 7837 / 4455 7780 MARCH 9, 2013 ON SATURDAY 02 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com Home WAR ON TOBACCO More inspectors, tougher penalties in the offing to deal with the growing menace. PICS: SHAIVAL DALAL BY AZMAT HAROON statistics will reveal the approx- imate number of passive smok- draft anti-tobacco ers and the estimated sales of law being discussed different kinds of tobacco. by the State Cabinet It is the first time a study will A is likely to increase be conducted on the number of the number of public health expatriates affected by the use inspectors, who may include of tobacco. The study, however, non-Qataris, according to sen- will not cover labourers and ior public health officials. domestic workers. The existing law allows only The outcome of this research Qataris in the government will help decision-makers for- sector to implement the anti- mulate a health plan for the tobacco law. Dr Mohammed Al Thani Dr Ahmed Al MullaDr Tahir Shaltout Feroz Moideen coming years. Apart from easing criteria for “It is the responsibility of the selection of inspectors, the new Weak Enforcement request the SCH to inspect smoking epidemic. this time period. We have more health inspection unit and the law, once it comes into force, any public place where they Interestingly, no data is avail- people from different nationali- tobacco control unit to strictly may also allow non-Qataris to Even though Qatar’s law see smokers violating the anti- able on the number of expatri- ties, new kinds of restaurants implement the anti-tobacco work as volunteers. number 20 of 2002 prohibits tobacco law. ates who use tobacco. and a mushrooming culture of law,” Al Mulla said, adding that At present, there are 12 smoking in all enclosed public Dr Shaltout said that in addi- malls, which is all very new,” apart from stringent laws, a health inspectors working places, many people violate the tion to a survey on the use of she said. strong task force was needed under the Supreme Council law because of loopholes in its The bigger problem different forms of tobacco, there to implement them. of Health (SCH), apart from enforcement. There has been a steady was need for more research on A series of national anti- 30 volunteers from different In the current set-up, inspec- increase in the number of the diseases caused by tobacco Anti-tobacco tobacco campaigns should also ministries. tors are responsible for imple- youngsters, particularly high use. be launched, experts say. “We prepared a memo on menting the anti-tobacco school students, who are “It is difficult to detach the campaigns “What we need to do is divide the case of inspectors some six law in public places, includ- addicted to tobacco in various two issues. To get an idea about The whole issue, therefore, is the younger and the older gen- months ago. The new law will ing shopping complexes and forms, of which the most popu- how many people are using not just about smoking in malls erations while campaigning. be more open in the selection of hypermarkets. lar is ‘sweka’ (smokeless chew- tobacco, we also need to look at or other enclosed spaces. We have to relay the negative inspectors and it will give them An inspector first warns ing tobacco). how many people are affected Parking lots of the major- image of smoking to young- more powers,” said Dr Al Anoud offenders against smoking in More than 15 percent of the by it,” he said. ity of government and private sters through audiovisual mes- bint Mohammed Al Thani, public places, and fines them if preparatory and secondary The Stop Smoking Clinic at organisations are now common sages that match their age,” Dr Director of Health Protection they are found violating the law school students in Qatar use HMC receives 80 to 100 new smoking zones.