Lighting Up

Israelis breathe easier because they still smoke.

Howard Mortman | March 5, 2002

(Page 2 of 2)

They laugh again. I join in.

Banning cigarette smoking in Israel is a laughing matter. A recent Jerusalem Post article reported that Health Minister Nissim Dahan said municipalities and local authorities are inadequately enforcing regulations barring smoking in public places "because fines aren't popular in an election year."

Ah, elections -- coming to Israel just in the nic-o-tine. What an American way to run your life. Just like regulations.

Viceroy cigarette billboards in the region read: "The Big Taste of America." Thankfully, though, the big taste of big American regulation has yet to be sampled.

Israel does not require health warnings on cigarettes. Israel does not hike cigarette taxes to discourage smoking. Children are permitted to buy cigarettes and to smoke. Cigarette companies are not forced to cut nicotine and tar levels in their products. And Israel has yet to sue tobacco importers and manufacturers to pay for smoking-related health problems.

But someday these approaches to social engineering may all come to pass. And likely be ignored.

Which leads to an excellent point raised in a Jerusalem Post editorial last summer: "It is self defeating for a society to pass laws that are blatantly and widely disregarded - especially those whose violation is highly visible."

Yes, yes. So why pass them?

Then again, one can argue that if a commonly ignored anti-smoking law is all Israel is guilty of, so be it.

There are more important things for Israel to police. Terrorism, not tobacco, for instance. As the Jerusalem Post also pointed out, "... [O]ur overburdened police cannot be expected to rush over and hand out 230 [shekel] tickets to smokers in public places."

No, Israel can't lighten up on security. But at least its people still light up. On cigarettes.