Oman considers legislation to protect non-smokers' rights

With smoking poseing a life threatening risk to one in four Omanis the country's health officials are considering legislation to protect the rights of non-smokers, as passive smoking is also harmful to health.

"We are not talking about a complete ban on smoking but creating separate areas for smokers, especially in public places," said Jawad Al Lawatia, the Head of Non-Communicable Diseases at Oman's Ministry of Health.

He was talking at the WHO office in Oman during a presentation of The World Health Report on Reducing Risks and Promoting Healthy Life.

Al Lawatia pointed out that at the moment mainly men were affected by the menace of smoking but sounded the alert that cigarette companies had started targeting women too.

"A recent trend has shown that cigarette advertisements are targeted at women too," he said, adding that this was a new trend in Oman.

"Government alone cannot do anything there should be social awareness too," he pointed out. Al Lawatia said that currently there were 70 places in Muscat where one can go and smoke sheesha and 30 in Salalah.

"Seems there are more shisha outlets in capital than Pharm-acies," he said. The Omani health official insisted that it was upto every individual, afterall it is in the hands of individual to quit smoking.

He also revealed that health officials and WHO representa-tive Dr Ibrahim M. Abdel Rahim were shocked to see a high rate of obesity in places like Jebel Akhdahar and Nizwa. "We carried out a survey and found out that 30 per cent women and 15 per cent men in this region were obese."