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Smoking to be banned in hospitals 

Federal Health Minister Naseer Khan has said all state-run hospitals and medical institutions will be declared smoke-free to promote healthy lifestyle in the country. He was speaking at a seminar on healthy lifestyle organized by the ministry of health in collaboration with the World Health Organization at Fatima Jinnah Medical College on Monday.

The seminar was organized as a part of a series of seminars on 'Healthy Lifestyles' in medical and dental colleges across the country. Under this programme, the WHO has agreed to provide $1,000 to each institution to prepare and install banners and placards and prepare and distribute pamphlets, brochures, etc.

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Journalist Jailed for a Year in Kabul Feels Abandoned by U.S. as He Seeks Ways to Survive 

Edward Caraballo, 43, an independent filmmaker from the Bronx, who was one of the three Americans found guilty last year by a Kabul court of running a private jail and torturing hostages. . . .

The Afghans have surprised him. "They all love Bush, because he liberated their country," he said, "and they all say Osama bin Laden is Bush's friend," suggesting that in their minds there is a conspiracy that allows Al Qaeda's leader to remain at large.

"The young people all want to learn English here," he said. "They want to become Westernized. The top three requests I get at every corner are - No. 3: do I have any American cigarettes? No. 2: do I have an American magazine for them? And the top request is: 'Please take me to America.' [This graph only] "

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• Troop Support 

Ministry ponders ban on smoking in buses 

The Transport Ministry has once again underlined the need for strictly implementing a ban on smoking in buses, arguing such a restriction will benefit passengers and the environment.

But the Health Ministry, acknowledging the move as welcome and propitious, linked implementation of the ban on cigarette use in public transport to the ratification of an international convention, outlawing smoking in such places.

Mohammed Ramazan Shafaq, director at the Transport Ministry, told Pajhwok Afghan News Wednesday smoking on city buses was banned many years ago. He added inspectors of the ministry were active even today to ensure the ban was enforced in letter and spirit.

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Herat bans smoking at public places 

Afghanistan's western Herat province has banned smoking in all government buildings, becoming the first region in the country to join an international effort against smoking, government officials said on Sunday.

The move follows Afghanistan's recent signing of a global convention of banning tobacco consumption in public, health officials said.

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• Afghan province bans smoking in public places 

Afghanistan's western Herat province has banned smoking in all government buildings, becoming the first region in the country to join an international effort against smoking, government officials said on Sunday.

The move follows Afghanistan's recent signing of a global convention of banning tobacco consumption in public, health officials said.

"The ban has been implemented in government buildings," said Amin Haider a public health ministry official in Herat. "Our next step is to enforce it in covered places or public areas such as restaurants," Haider told Reuters.

Abdullah Fahim, adviser to the Public Health Ministry, told Reuters Afghanistan had yet to pass a law to enforce the ban nationwide. . . .

The majority of men smoke in male-dominated Afghanistan. Most smoke Western-style filter-tip cigarettes, the vast majority of which are counterfeits made in neighbouring countries.

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• A very smoky nonprofit 

In January when Clay Carlton decided to send a box of 25 of his hand-rolled cigars to the troops in Iraq, he had no idea that his simple act of patriotism would become a mission.

But that's what's happening. Carlton, who owns Timberline Barbers in West Vail, wants to take his cigar-rolling hobby from a simple one-man demonstration of support for the troops to a national mobilization.

All it took was a story in this newspaper about his efforts, and donations began to roll in and his idea began to spread like the smoke from his aromatic hobby. . . .

Now he's starting a nonprofit organization, Cigars to the Troops, so he can begin raising money to ship up to 10,000 cigars a month to members of the armed services in Iraq and Afghanistan. He wants to collect donations from individuals and corporate sponsors, he said.

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Dizzying night out for smoking's last gasp 

There comes a time when becoming part of history is more important than health.

So in the performance of a lifetime Garry Collier and Carl Lunt became smokers for a night.

It did not go too well.

"I had to put it out," Mr Collier said.

"It makes you dizzy."

At bars across town were sights to horrify the most righteous Minister of Health, as punters celebrated the last night of legal smoking in pubs. . . .

Malt's owner, Luke Dallow, banned smoking inside the Grey Lynn bar in October.

Last night, however, smoked food was handed out, old tobacco ads had pride of place and Spaceman lolly cigarettes were given away.

A smoke machine was standing by, although the smokers were already pretty much doing its work. . . .

Mr Collier waved his cigar with relish.

"I went to the shop and he gave me a great big one. I said 'I can't smoke that - I've never smoked before in my life'. So he gave me a smaller one.

"The reason is it's damned history. If you can't smoke anymore in a pub, I thought I'd better smoke in a pub so I could say I had.

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• Tobacco firm to help fund private schools 

The largest provider of private education in England has struck a deal with a cigarette importer to build new schools.

Global Education Management Systems (Gems) and the Alokozay Group, both based in Dubai, plan to create the network of fee-paying schools in Afghanistan. The investment has been welcomed by children's charities but questioned by anti-smoking campaigners.

Gems operates 13 independent schools in England and its directors include Mike Tomlinson, chair of the Government's working group on 14-19 education.

The Alokozay Group describes itself as a "leader in the cigarette industry" and is the sole distributor for cigarettes made by the Korea Tobacco and Ginseng Corp in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and the Middle East.

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• Show Your Support for the Troops with Cigars 

A one of a kind method of showing your support for U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan is based right here in San Antonio. In fact, it's based here with a new guy at our sister radio station.

Jeff Bolton, the new afternoon talk show host on WOAI radio started the program a while back . . .

To get radio listeners to help send the troops something different - cigars, or as they call it, "Sticks for Soldiers."

"They're working seven days a week, 12 hours a day, they're eatin' the same food, drinking the same old coffee," said Bolton. "We wanted to give them just a moments relaxation with a cigar, things we take for granted here at home or things they just don't have there."

Bolton wrote about "Sticks for Soldiers" in a national cigar magazine and brought it to San Antonio.

"What happened is Club Humidor has come alongside us to partner and people have been donating cigars there," said Bolton. "It's been incredible." . . .

"We're not there to start a bad habit with anybody, because you know, it's an elective thing," said Bolton. "If you want 'em and a guy hands 'em to you, you can take 'em. If you don't, you can hand them back."

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We're not there to start a bad habit with anybody, because you know, it's an elective thing. If you want 'em and a guy hands 'em to you, you can take 'em. If you don't, you can hand them back.
WOAI talk show host Jeff Bolton, who started "Sticks for Soldiers," which sends cigars to military personnel in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Bail denied Lackawanna man convicted in cigarette case 

A Yemeni-American businessman convicted of tobacco smuggling has been denied bail after a prosecutor made a secret statement to a federal judge.

The bail request of Mohamed Abuhamra, a 54-year-old Lackawanna resident, was refused by U.S. District Judge Richard Arcara after prosecutors said he would be a danger to the community.

The former delicatessen operator has never been accused of a violent crime. Defense attorney David Jay said Friday neither he nor Abuhamra has been told why the government considers him dangerous, and they should at least know what he's accused of.

"When the government presented its evidence (that) he was a danger to the community, my client and I were ordered to leave the courtroom," Jay said. "I can only suspect that they're somehow trying to tie him to terrorism, but I don't have a clue. The prosecution won't tell me, and the judge sealed his decision."

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Prosecutors: Convicted cigarette smuggler gave money to Lakawanna Qaida trainees 

A convicted cigarette smuggler contributed $14,000 to a group of Lackawanna men who attended an al-Qaida training camp in Afghanistan in 2001, prosecutors said Thursday.

The government said the money from Aref Ahmed, 27, helped pay the way for five of the so-called Lackawanna Six, each of whom pleaded guilty late last year to providing material support to a known terrorist organization.

``As we understand it, it got five of the guys at least to Pakistan,'' assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Bruce said.

Despite the government's public statements, no criminal charges were immediately filed. An investigation was continuing.

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• Jury finds five guilty in cigarette smuggling case 

A jury found five people guilty Wednesday of conspiring to commit money laundering in a cigarette smuggling case.

Authorities said the defendants purchased millions of dollars of untaxed, unstamped cigarettes for sale on the black market in Michigan and New York, resulting in an estimated loss of tens of millions of dollars in excise tax revenues to the two states.

One of the defendants, Aref Ahmed, 27, of Niagara Falls, provided $14,000 to five Yemeni-Americans who were part of the so-called Lackawanna Six who attended an al-Qaida training camp in Afghanistan in 2001, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Bruce.

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Afghan transit trade: 14 items deleted from negative list 

According to an official statement pursuant to the decision taken in Afghanistan Pakistan Joint Economic Commission to facilitate Afghan transit trade for increasing bilateral economic cooperation and also to encourage economic cooperation between ECO countries, the Economic Coordination Committee of the Cabinet under chairmanship of Shaukat Aziz, Finance Minister decided to delete 14 items from the negative list.

The items are: razor and shaving blades, capacitors, video cassettes, vegetable ghee, cigar and cheroots, art silk fabrics, shampoo, refrigerator, air conditioners, VC and PMC material, dyes and chemicals, yarns, soaps and black tea.

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Minister silent on smoke ban delay claims 

The Minister for Health, Michel Martin, has refused to be drawn on reports that the smoking ban may not be implemented until next April.

Mr Martin says there are still some legal issues to be resolved before the date can be set.

He refused to confirm reports that the ban faces a further setback by having its implementation date put back by several months.

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