Drive against smoking
Dear Sir,
Smoking is prohibited in public areas in Qatar. And that is an excellent decision by the authorities. But I don’t know whether the smoking ban covers Qatar’s taxis. If not, it should.
The other day I was in a taxi on way to my work. When I got into the vehicle, I found the driver was smoking. Immediately I told the driver to stop smoking inside the car as I can’t stand the tobacco smell at all.
To the driver’s credit, he immediately stopped smoking and also told me he was sorry. I appreciated his gesture and thanked him. Then the driver told me that he was trying to give up smoking for a long time. But he couldn’t.
I told him that there was an active campaign against smoking in Qatar and there was a group active in it. I advised him to approach the group for guidance to give up smoking. He promised he would.
Taxi drivers should be instructed not to smoke while driving for the security and comfort of passengers. Taxi companies should inform their drivers about this.
There are many studies to prove that smoking is injurious to health. The effect smoking has on those who are exposed to it secondhand is also hazardous, these studies have shown. That exposure can be significant, especially for those who spend time with a smoker. In reality, most of the smoke from a burning cigarette doesn’t get sucked down into a smoker’s lungs - it escapes into the air, where it can be inhaled by anyone unfortunate enough to be nearby.
Incidentally, I also feel that the traffic authorities should strictly implement laws against mobile phone use and text messaging while driving.
While I was travelling in a taxi from Salata to Hilal yesterday morning, its driver was engaged in talking on his mobile phone throughout the journey.
At one stage, I was astonished to see him entering on his mobile a number he had got it from the caller while driving! He was still talking when I reached my destination.
C K Krishnan, [email protected]
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