Yes
Lebanon’s Tobacco Control and Regulation of Tobacco Products’ Manufacturing, Packaging and Advertising (Law No. 174) prohibits the advertising and promotion of tobacco products in traditional and electronic media. The law regulates all tobacco products the same, including cigarettes, smokeless products, e-cigarettes, and heat-not-burn products. Smoking, vaping, and use of heat-not-burn products is banned in hospitals, schools, and many public buildings in Lebanon, and regulations mandate health warnings must occupy 40 percent of tobacco packaging’s surface area.
Recent media coverage in Lebanon tends to focus on the country’s e-cigarette ban, health concerns surrounding e-cigarettes, and the influence of e-cigarettes on young people. Because of the ban, some smokers have become involved in the illegal trading and use of e-cigarettes. Coverage also notes the recent boost to Lebanon’s tobacco farming, as the country accepts more Syrian refugees who also smoke at high rates.
The Lebanese government has stated that there are no studies regarding the health effects of e-cigarettes. Because of the tobacco industry’s influence on the government and the government’s control of the media, Lebanese people are often told that e-cigarettes are potentially more harmful than standard cigarettes and are a danger to Lebanese youth.
#ICYMI @SmokeFreeFdn recently hosted a 90-minute webinar on how to tackle the illicit trade of tobacco products. Illicit trade undermines public health, #tobaccoharmreduction and government revenues by providing products through illegal channels: https://youtu.be/w2dtt3agu0A
A 2020 evidence update summary for vaping in England published by @PHE_uk found that "#vaping remains most common among smokers and former smokers, with less than 1% of people who have never smoked currently vaping."
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vaping-in-england-evidence-update-march-2020/vaping-in-england-2020-evidence-update-summary
::REMINDER:: Tomorrow (February 24) at 8:00am EST @SmokeFreeFdn is hosting a free 90-minute public webinar on Tackling Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products.
The webinar will be simulcast in English, Chinese, Russian, and Bahasa.
Register here: https://smokefreeworld.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Kxw-IMUvTK-95TOzLfinuA
Watch Derek Yach (@swimdaily) and @CotherHajat discuss gaps in public health infrastructure, the quality of a #tobaccoharmreduction study, and how to address misinformation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGrvBuGZtPM&feature=youtu.be
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