By Mohammad Ghazal

AMMAN - Several restaurants in Amman said Thursday a call by the Health Ministry to ban smoking will be difficult to implement.

The ministry has urged restaurants to voluntarily prevent smoking in line with the recently endorsed Public Health Law.

A statement by the ministry this week said the health authorities may, if the move proves futile, declare restaurants as public places, which means they will be subject to the provisions of the Public Health Law.

The legislation has been amended to prohibit smoking in public and private institutions and all public facilities.

According to the law, this includes hospitals, healthcare centres, schools, cinemas, theatres, libraries, museums, public and nongovernmental buildings, public transport vehicles, airports, closed playgrounds, lecture halls and any other location to be determined by the health minister.

The law also stipulates that any person who is caught smoking at a public place is subject to a penalty of imprisonment ranging from one week to one month or a JD15-JD25 fine. The same penalties apply to those who sell cigarettes to underage youths.

During a visit to Al Istiqlal Hospital on Wednesday, Health Minister Salah Mawajdeh said the ministry will announce restaurants as public places in case they do not voluntarily prohibit smoking, reported the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

Health officials were not available Thursday to elaborate on the issue.

Workers at several restaurants in Amman said the decision will be hard to enforce.

“We have separate sections for smokers and non-smokers but people do not care. Smokers smoke in whatever section they are,” a worker at a Lebanese restaurant told The Jordan Times on Thursday.

“In addition, people like to have argileh (hubble-bubble) after the meal and I cannot tell them not to order because that will disturb them and affect the business,” said the worker.

Other restaurants in Amman echoed similar remarks.

“If we prevent smoking, the number of customers will drop,” a manager at another Amman restaurant said.

“Many of my customers are smokers. What shall I tell them? This move is unworkable,” remarked an employee at a third eatery.

Citizens reflected differently on the decision.

Muna Al Aloul, an international public relations expert, said she would be overwhelmed with the decision in case it is enforced.

“I want to enjoy my meal without anybody blowing smoke in my face. It is unhealthy when you are eating and somebody is smoking next to you making the atmosphere smelly and cloudy with the smoke,” she told The Jordan Times on Thursday.

“I hope the ministry is serious this time because no one seems to abide by instructions banning smoking,” she said.

Mahmoud Quffesha, an employee at a company specialised in air conditioning, said he is against the decision.

“I enjoy smoking after the meal and having argileh when I am at the restaurant. Not all of my friends smoke. Should I sit separately from them?” Quffesha asked.

Although Jordan ranks 10th in the world in terms of laws that prohibit smoking in public places, a recent study revealed that one-third of Jordanians are smokers.

Health Ministry figures indicate that over 30 per cent of school students smoke tobacco.