Here in the United States, by law people are not allowed to smoke inside buildings. There are designated areas where they can smoke. Smoking advertisements are not allowed on television and various other media. Instead we see advertisemenst on tv about the ways to quit smoking. Smoking is also not in fashion, it is something increasingly being disliked. This is what I call a nation that is awake atleast in this particular sense.
Although Pakistan has no comparison with the United States, however the condition in Pakistan is the opposite. The state run television and other channels, the newspapers, magazines and billboards all display wonderful, amazing, eye catching ads about cigarettes. The whole nation is encouraged to smoke. It seems that all the tobacco companies have migrated to developing countries like Pakistan.
So what do you think about this issue. As far as I remember, we may have discussed it in detail in the light of Islam. However, since many people may have a problem looking at the religious aspects of this issue, lets discuss why does a nation like United States promotes such good things (in my opinion) like discouraging smoking while the Islamic Republic of Pakistan promotes it.
When are our leaders going to sincerely start thinking about the nation and its health and the health of its generations to come. (I understand for some it may not be an issue at all).
I think maybe Pakistan does it to rebel agianst american culture? or they're trying to emulate it, and instead are copying the wrong era? many years ago, smoking was very "in" and glamarous. Of course the stench isn't glamarous. However, how is smoking an Islamic issue?
Most of Pakistani media and sports basically live on the tobacco industry. Prohibiting ads for cigarettes by law would certainly make most of those media organizations bankrupt, as they don´t have a lot of options when it comes to ads. American media has a very diverse advertisement clientele and therefore they can afford to live without that one.
Is money everything? What about the health of the people? Maybe the governemnt would end up spending more on health (which it won't) when these smokers get cancer.
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Islamabad: *
When are our leaders going to sincerely start thinking about the nation and its health and the health of its generations to come. (I understand for some it may not be an issue at all).
[/QUOTE]
I agree with what Umer has written.
When it comes to health issues, I think smoking is pretty minor compared to the level of pollution in the air and on the streets. I would think that is more damaging to the environment and health of the people. I can't speak for all of Pakistan, but only what I saw last year in Karachi. It's pretty horrendous and we are truly blessed to be breathing cleaner air in North America. I know it isn't just Pakistan, it's all of Asia that needs to be cleaned up.
It's the capitalist model...the farmers make a profit, the tobacco industry makes a profit, the clinics make a profit, the cemetery finishes it off with a profit. As sad as it might be, the tobacco industry's a major employer and revenue generator for developing countries. The people tobacco kills are mere expenses.
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Islamabad: *
Is money everything? What about the health of the people? Maybe the governemnt would end up spending more on health (which it won't) when these smokers get cancer.
[/QUOTE]
thats pakistan fer you - money is everythin here, the law, the life and every damn thing involved.
As far as I remember, we may have discussed it in detail in the light of Islam. However, since many people may have a problem looking at the religious aspects of this issue.
[/QUOTE]
what religious aspects are there regarding smoking????
someone plz tell me...im really asking,im not lookin to argue w/anyone..
Our Pakistani do not use their own brains. What ever poison is spread through masses, through Advertisments; like most obedient servants they take it. Same is with cigarrette and same is pollution hazard due to excessively saying islam islam and islam kou khatra hei. Islam laou in pakistan.
All pakistanis are good muslims, better than our whole arabs. And better than those muslims who have developed identity crisis due to the fact that they could not reach where all europeans are. Our people from villages went in europe, they had not seen the cities. Feel inferiority complex. To hide their own mishaps they enter into excessive religion to cover up their identity crisis. And the result of unwanted, excessive religion when enters into coastal areas of our heart sea ,The health hazard results into sublimation of that hazard as intolerant society, which is now a days can be given the name of terrorism culture.Bye Sokoon
