Job Discussion Forums

[lall]

I've noticed that quite a few Omanis (males) are inveterate smokers, despite the government's best efforts to discourage smoking.

A large number of Egyptians are heavy smokers, too. I've seen a considerable number of female smokers in Egypt, both middle-aged & young (and that does not include the female "sheesha/hookah" smokers).

I've also heard that smoking is common in the rest of the Arab world. In contrast, India, despite its huge population, has a low percentage of smokers.

Any opinions, please?

[Stephen Jones]

Salary level.

[trapezius]

As some examples, Arabs, Chinese, and Turks have a horribly high percentage of smokers among the adult male population, probably around 50%.

I don't know what the reason is. Probably tradition. In places where in the old times various types of smoking took place, these days cigarette smoking is at a high level in those places. That's my hypothesis.

[lall]

I wonder whether some races are genetically pre-disposed towards certain behaviour. I know that this may sound awfully racist. I offer my apologies upfront. It isn't my intention to offend anybody. Just testing my theories.

Btw, SJ, I didn't quite understand as to what you meant by "salary level".

[veiledsentiments]

Perhaps... or is just advertising, fashion, and tradition added to a dangerous and addictive substance?

VS

[Stephen Jones]

[lall]

Surely, Omanis earn more than Indians.

However, the cost of tobacco, in all its myriad forms (and believe me, it's available in all its avatars - cigarettes, "beedis, bidis or biris", cigars, snuff, chewing tobacco-both chemically-processed or the local smoke-dried variety, etc.,) in India is very, very low.

The cost factor would not, IMHO, deter any Indian from using tobacco.

Yet, India has a low section of the overall users of tobacco, though the number of tobacco chewers and smokers are nearly equal.

[Stephen Jones]

When people buy cigarettes in Oman they buy a pack. In Sri Lanka, which is still richer than India, they buy one or two individual cigarettes.

[lall]

Exactly my point! SJ.

It's possible to buy a cigarette or two in India (or in Sri Lanka) instead of purchasing the entire pack.

That increases the availability and the increased availability should logically transalate into a higher incidence of smoking.

However, this is not so in India. I wonder why!

By the way, what's the incidence of tobacco use in Sri Lanka?

[Gauguin]

Here in the UAE the government have stopped people smoking in government buildings, banks etc.
The malls still stink of stale smoke and all the restaurants allow smoking.
As I always say, having a smoking area in a restaurant is like having a pissing section in a swimming pool.


Gauguin

[lall]

[Geronimo]

So, lall, you'd never wondered why the French for 'swimming pool' is 'piscine' - or the Spanish -'piscina'?! Or - what does a swimming pool have in common with 'psychology'?

Returning to the topic - via a tenous link - my Indian swimming instructor asked me the other day if I would ever light up a cigarette in front of my parents. I wasn't aware of the relevance of this question, (as I rarely smoke while I'm swimming in any event), until I saw that a young Omani man had just lit up directly in front of his mother, who was sitting poolside. The Indian was clearly shocked by this behaviour and viewed it as extremely direspectful towards the mother. Different cultures and different traditions!

The Ramadan constraints on smoking must be tough for heavy smokers to comply with.

[lall]

You're right. Indians do have different notions about smoking. For example, while it may be acceptable for a young Indian male to have a drink (alcoholic) in the presence of his parents or older relatives, at a party or at a family get-together, he's always expected to duck outside for a smoke.
It's funny, though, that chewing of tobacco is acceptable in the presence of elders, in India.

[007]

[mishmumkin]

My husband is Egyptian and he won't smoke in front of his parents, either. His habit is more or less unacknowledged, but he, at the age of 34, feels it would be disrespectful to his father if he did. Like 007, it's more 'hidden' from dear old dad.