underage smoking & drinking

It's a fact.

Young people here in the Sultanate of Oman do smoke and drink. Not all of them, however. But a big portion have. The Ministry of Health had earlier declared that over 80 cases of Cancer were directly related to passive smoking.

The government may be imposing strict laws on who gets what these days, but to what extent are these laws seen into effect? You still see the younger generation buying off cigarettes at supermarkets or small neighborhood shops or even grabbing them from a friend or someone they hardly even know off the street. And earlier on - say, like maybe 2 or 3 years before - it was pretty much the same situation with Alcohol being bought off by minors through hotel bars or local discos or some dance-hall like for instance, the Intercontinental Hotel; the Oasis By The Sea; or even Grand Hyatt.

That was then, though. This is now.

I'm not off into ranting about places that should enforce such methods on restricting things that Islam already calls prohibited; mostly, because I don't do them myself - thank, God.

But, let's face it. Here in Oman, we have a problem. A small problem, maybe, but nonetheless that does not justify us leaving it to the very last minute for us to act on it, like many a projects in the Sultanate.

Smoking and drinking laws have to be enforced.

A few years back, we heard of the Muscat Muncipality passing off a law that prohibited smoking in public places as well as governmental offices. But so far, all we have seen, is that where-ever there is a place outside to enjoy the weather and the natural environment, we also have to engulf the fumes of our fellow smoking citizens/residents &/or tourists.

Last year, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia wasted 5 billion US Dollars alone on buying tobacco products. Why does anyone feel the need to buy anything that could relieve their tension and anxiety but in the long run be deducting time off to get closer their chosen hour?

Back in the days of our Prophet Mohammed (PBUH), there was a similar case in which God had gradually prohibited drinking Alcohol even though that He had stated in the Holy Qur'an that there advantage and disadvantages to the beverage, but having said that, He also noted that its disadvantages were greater than that of its advantages. He did so by gradually asking them not to use it in different situations like praying or at a table or in social occasions until there was another Qur'anic verse that had banned and prohibited the use of Alcohol in way that would alter the mind's mood.

This method could be applied in the current century. Although, I think many would not favor this solution, especially leading businessmen whose main profit may come off selling tobacco products or importing alcoholic beverages.

So sue me.

This is my opinion - and as such, I am entitled to it.