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· Smokefree Policies
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· Syria
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Jump to full article: (Long Island, NY) Newsday, 2003-12-10
Author: James Pinkerton / Staff Writer
Intro: Damascus, Syria -- Everyone here seems to be smoking, or choking, or both.
If the Arabs ever get wise to the ways of the West, they'll bring suit against U.S. tobacco companies and turn the litigation into a trans-national cash cow. Because just about everyone here smokes. . . .
My first clue that I was in for an equally smoky time in Syria came at the border, when I walked into a large holding room for people waiting to be processed through Customs. A big sign read, "No Smoking" in English. Next to those words on the same sign were a couple of lines of Arabic writing, which at first I assumed delivered the same no-smoking message.
But then I noticed that several people inside the room were, in fact, puffing away. And I also noticed that there were ashtrays everywhere.
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