Law 174, banning smoking in closed public spaces, became effective on September 3, 2012. For the first few weeks after its adoption, the law was strictly enforced, especially in Beirut. Gradually, however, restaurants went back to allowing indoor smoking after realizing that enforcement mechanisms were not all too effective.
In 2014, Lebanon was ranked third globally for having the most number of cigarettes smoked per person per year according to The Tobacco Atlas[1]. Also, tobacco-related diseases account for more than 4,010 deaths every year in Lebanon[2].
As part of its focus on compliance and the rule of law, Nudge Lebanon conducted field observations in few areas in Beirut to assess restaurants’ compliance with law 174.
To-date, compliance data of more than 130 restaurants around the Capital have been recorded in Hamra and Gemayzeh with compliance rates of 51.5% and 82.5%, respectively.
Moving forward, the objective of this experiment is to test the impact of dynamic social norms[3], as presented by Gregg Sparkman, on restaurants’ compliance in these areas, recognize it and celebrate it. For this, Nudge Lebanon will be partnering with key stakeholders to launch a “Proudly Nonsmoking” campaign to promote further compliance with the anti-smoking ban in law 174 and to recognize compliant restaurants as good corporate citizens.
References
[1] Cigarette Consumption. (2014). Retrieved from The Tobacco Atlas: http://www.tobaccoatlas.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Consumption-Map.csv
[2] Country Fact Sheet: Lebanon. (2010). Retrieved from The Tobacco Atlas: http://3pk43x313ggr4cy0lh3tctjh.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/TA5_FactSheet_Lebanon1.pdf
[3] Martinovich, M. (2017, Oct 12 ). This is how societies are starting to change our behaviour. Retrieved from World Economic Forum: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2017/10/this-is-how-societies-are-starting-to-change-our-behaviour