Limiting Smoking
Laws designed to restrict smoking have been created in order to protect individuals from breathing in smoke and from the negative consequences of smoking. The smoking laws represent the coming together of public policies, criminal law and occupational health legislation to restrict smoking in the workplace and in public areas. These laws cover every form of tobacco product that has to be lit.
Law No 174 – Limiting Smoking and Regulating the Fabrication, Packing and Advertising of Tobacco Products
The law for limiting smoking in Lebanon was issued in August 2011 and contains seven chapters and twenty one articles covering and regulating tobacco products, obtaining and using tobacco, marking and packaging, publicity and advertising, control and application penalties. It was followed by Decree No 7473 related to regulating advertisements and signs for the sale of tobacco products, which was issued in January 2012, and by Decree No 8991, which was related to the health warnings posted on the packs of tobacco products, which was issued in July of the same year.
International Agreements
The World Health Organization Agreement concerning the need to fight smoking was the first treaty negotiated by the International Health Organization. The agreement was created to create international standards in the fight to reduce smoking. 168 states signed the treaty, thus making it the most widely-approved treaty in the history of the UN. The treaty became effective on 27 February 2005.