Wonkette
You know how many fun things there are to do in Iraq these days? Not so many! It used to be that, if you were a man, you could just chill out in public cafes and smoke your hookahs with other mustachioed dudes while you awaited the next random suicide bombing. But now the Iraqi cabinet is putting a stop to that nonsense — the smoking nonsense, anyhow.
Because in a nation that has suffered through six years of war and countless civilian deaths, they decided it was finally time to get serious about … lung cancer.
“The draft law will ban smoking in public areas. Smoking will be prevented inside ministry buildings, educational institutions, health facilities, airports and companies in all provinces,” Dabbagh said.
“Smoking will also be banned in theatres, clubs, meeting rooms, offices, and all private and public transport.”
This legislation will probably set off another civil war. Oh well!
Iraq cabinet approves smoking curbs plan [AFP]
Mission Accomplished!
The legislature makes a very convincing argument: smoking is a leading cause of premature death - right behind sectarian violence, suicide bombing, roadside bombs, being shoot, poor healthcare, and malnutrition.
Smart move. This will surely increase the tourist numbers. Now if they could just do something about the Iraqi tendency to blow people up.
Iraq? Is that the one we invaded or the other one?
Well fuck it. Scratch Iraq off my list of possible holiday destinations. I suppose I’ll go to China. They let you smoke while watching your wife give birth. Like that doctor in Battlestar Galactica.
One less thing that could potentially kill Iraqis.
hobospacejunkie: Yes but just make sure you only do it once.
Random plug: go to Georgia. You actually have to go to expat bars to find non-smoking sections. And that’s far from the only feat of awesomeness the country has pulled off. Trust me.
We’ll know Iraq has reached the heights of American bureaucratic efficiency when an Iraqi policeman comes by and tickets the still-smoking corpses of the latest suicide bombing.
Jeez, why don’t they just outlaw ‘being cool’, forever, and be done with it?
I can’t e-mail from work, could someone send this link to the tips thingy please.
http://fearlessblogging.com/post/view/3037
the birfers were punked.
*sigh* Oh well, there’s still Vegas.
Seriously though, I’m glad the Iraqis now have such advanced technology that they no longer need a lit cigarette to ignite their explody-thingies.
If they can afford cigarettes they can afford their own white-black-messican army troops! No more freebies!
The terrorists won.
There is no country named “Iraq”. You must be thinking of Egypt.
SayItWithWookies: Yikes.
I think I am going to take up smoking today, in honor of these brave men and women who can no longer get lung cancer on their own terms.
Better American Than You: That was Egypt. According to Fox News.
jbd: “expat bars” for us Yankees in Atlanta? That’s right neighborly of them.
You’d think a country with a history of oil refinery fires would be used to lung cancer by now.
Whoa! Hold your horses, er, camels. There’s nothing that says you can’t smoke outside in 112º heat in the desert.
This is democracy at work!
Allah Akbar ftw!
AnnieGetYourFun: Is it still too soon if it hasn’t happened yet? Damn.
I hope they tackle the texting-while-driving problem next
Another reason for Barry never to return to this FSM-forsaken hellhole.
AnnieGetYourFun: You can smoke them over here so they can not smoke them over there? God I hate Bush.
Instructive to see “The Hurt Locker,” and then think about this. Who’d tell those guys they can’t smoke?
That’s it. We’ve officially ruined them beyond repair.
But the police is still allowed to “smoke a fool” if they get unruly in a public setting, correct? Too much reform too soon is not good for anybody…
It’s hard to carry around them hookah things anyway.
AnnieGetYourFun: That brings up a good point — What about the U.S. soldiers in Iraq? Can they still smoke in their tanks? Do tanks count as public/private transportation? Are they immune from prosecution under the U.S.-Iraq Status of Forces Agreement? I think Hillary needs to drop by and straighten this mess out.
It seems like this could be hard to enforce since everyone in Iraq is heavily armed.
They are already taxing the bejesus out of us here, I’m hoping that dumb law doesn’t come our way.
Next up for regime change: the pro-pornography government of Denmark
Hate cigarettes. Hate hate hatehatehate them. Just about everything about them is stupid gross and offensive, to me. The vile smell of stale butts, the yellowing of the teeth, clothes, walls. The absurd expense of the habit, the suicidal health risk. The impunity with which streetside loiterers befoul my sidewalk and planters with their insipid, smoldering, noisome litter.
The existence and popularity of cigarettes offends my intellect nearly as much as the existence and popularity of George W. Bush, ca. late 2004.
Having said that; if I lived in Baghdad, I would probably be a smoker. And drink more, a lot more. (That is saying something.)
I thought that since we controlled their government, we already ordered them (on behalf of Phillip Morris etc) to smoke three packs per day per person.
I think I will cancel my vacation there.
Why would they ban smoking in a health facility? Just plain silly.
I imagine the Iraqi gambling industry will strong-arm the government into allowing smoking in the Baghdad Harrah’s.
thetalltexan: Seriously. I love to jog w/ a joint.
if they get healthcare before we do, i’m moving.
Kingbee: Actually, there was something about a smoking ban on military bases a couple of weeks ago, no?
I’m actually kind of surprised that anyone in the military smokes at all. Not that I can’t comprehend the stress that would lead to it, just that I can’t imagine the combination of being physically fit and a smoker. I know it’s possible, as I have met smokers who run marathons, but something about it makes my brain hurt. I’ve never smoked regularly, but when I do, I feel like my lungs are about to fall out of my ass.
Hmmm. Twitter’s down. I’m going out to pick up The Haunting in Connecticut from the Redbox machine by Walgreens.
who needs to smoke anything xtra in a country where you can inhale all he smoke you want from burning buildings, exploding cars, and charred bodies? terbacky is wasted in such a place. outlawing it is pointless political grandstanding like you’d see in… well, in america. hey! looks like we won after all!
It’s about fuckin’ time we finally smoked ‘em out. Yaaayyy Bush!
Jesus fuckin’ Christ, what did we invade them for if not to sell them cigarettes? Dick Cheney is NOT going to be pleased about this, so lock up any stray children you may have around.
widget09: They’re taxing the bejesus out of us here? Since when? If we were paying taxes maybe we wouldn’t have to furlough the fire department and teachers.
No booze.
No pork BBQ.
No smokes.
What’s left?
At least Saddam knew how to relax after a hard day at the show trials.
(inhales the yummy, delicious tobacco smoke, allowing the delightful blue vapors of joy to collect in my blackened, charcoal briquette lungs)
That’s right. I’ll lose a few years of my life from smoking: The bad “crapping your pants and getting spoon fed porridge” years.
Smoking in California is tantamount to walking around with 14 dead babies on a BBQ spear, asking everyone if they have any extra sauce; It’s banned almost everywhere. I’m eagerly awaiting the day I can exhale my magic happy smoke into Rob Reiner’s face.
Guess Hopey will never go to Iraq again. His Secret Service detail is leaking teh news; Obama still has a cigarette now and then….and Barry himself said he does not smoke in front of the wife and kids. He falls off the wagon sometimes, not perfect, etc.
Hope he smokes American Spirit organic tobacco. He deserves a really good smoke if he is going to indulge.
Do you have any idea how many innocent Iraqis die every year from second and third hand smoke?
About 3.7% of those who die from secondary and tertiary collateral damage?
You know, the other day as I was riding my scooter through Walmart (I can’t walk and carry my oxygen bottle at the same time being a rather heavy set ‘gent) to buy my usual case of Hurricane High Gravity’s, carton of Hat’s Off Full Flavors and gross of Ho-Ho snack cakes, I glanced at the security camera and realized that Obama wants to take my freedoms away just because of who I am.
I want my country back!
Atheist Nun: “Rob Reiner’s MORBIDLY OBESE face.” fix’t
trickyrick: Hope he smokes American Spirit organic tobacco. He deserves a really good smoke if he is going to indulge.
Amen!
This is just the slippery slope to losing a valuable cultural tradition. I, for one, refuse to ever vacation there if I can’t stroll down the street and see the quaint browns and their quaint hookahs. Does every damn thing in the universe have to follow the USA’s life style?
Ye Olde Fap-Smith: If you see someone on TV getting arrested for trying to ‘kill’ Rob Reiner with secondhand smoke while yelling TRUCK NUTZ!, that’s (probably) me.
http://www.southparkstudios.com/clips/154290
“You just hate smoking, so you use all your money and power to force others to think like you, and that’s called fascism, you tubby asshole!”
S.Luggo: What’s left?
no sex,
no drugs,
no wine,
no women,
no fun,
no sin,
no you,
no wonder it’s dark
What’s left? I think the final step is that we all turn Japanese. I’m not sure exactly what that means but I am not looking forward to the comic books about raping school girls.
I’m still in… lucky I dropped the cigs for vaping the e-cig… see you at the Baghdad Hilton
The hookahs would have hash or opium in them, too!
Zhu Bajie
Sick Puppy: Blunt taxes dummy.