HEADLINES

• China: Ten people imprisoned for smoking in cafés
• Ferguson Fury at Smoking Rooney
• No smoking for convicted rapist

• China: Ten people imprisoned for smoking in cafés

  Police and fire department officials in a county of China’s Hebei province arrested 10 people for smoking in Internet cafés on Friday, according to a Global Times story.
  
  The arrests, which came during a general inspection of Internet cafés in Zaoqiang county, Hengshui, were in line with China’s newly revised fire control law that calls for those caught smoking in particular public locations to be fined Yuan500 or to be imprisoned for a maximum of five days.
  
  The Global Times story did not say how long the Zaoqiang-10 were detained for, but it said that Chinese public opinion was divided on the case.
  
  Some people believed that imprisonment was more efficient than was education in instructing the public about the dangers of smoking, but others thought such detentions were too harsh a punishment.

  Source: Tobacco Report, 03 August 2010
  Link: http://bit.ly/ccJZSZ

• Ferguson Fury at Smoking Rooney

  England Striker Wayne Rooney yesterday faced a ferocious "hairdryer" blast from Man United boss Sir Alex Ferguson.

  The Scot was fuming after 'Roo' was snapped smoking during a bender until 5.30AM on Sunday.  Sir Alex was said to be "angry and disappointed" after viewing The Sun's snaps of Rooney's eight-hour bender.
  
  Fergie, 68, returned from Manchester United's pre-season tour to find his star striker had been seen smoking cigs and yelling footie chants in the street on his night out. The 24-year-old England ace also urinated next to a bin outside Manchester's trendy Panacea nightspot.
  
  But he was brought back down to earth with a bump yesterday when he joined the rest of United's World Cup players for a training session ahead of Sunday's Community Shield game against Chelsea.

   A Utd spokeswoman confirmed both he and Sir Alex - who faces a strong challenge next season from big-spending local rivals Man City - were at their Carrington training ground.

  A source said: "It was the first time Wayne had seen the boss since the end of last season, as Sir Alex and the rest of the squad got back from their US tour late on Saturday night. Wayne is normally very bubbly at training, but after seeing the pictures he was a little subdued. "There was a bit of a nervous atmosphere and everyone expected Sir Alex's famous hairdryer treatment. He hates bad publicity and will have felt let down." 

  Roo, who partied with wife Coleen and pals, is expected to play for Utd against an Airtricity League XI in Dublin tomorrow.

  Source: The Sun, 03 August 2010
  Link: http://bit.ly/aKazUH

• No smoking for convicted rapist

  A rapist who argued his human rights were violated by a prison smoking ban has had his damages claim rejected by a top judge.

  Jack Richard Foster, serving an indefinite sentence for raping a 16-year-old in East Sussex in 2007, had his tobacco privileges withdrawn for seven days by the deputy governor of High Down prison after swearing at a warder in February 2008.

  Foster, 22, claimed the punishment amounted to “inhuman or degrading treatment” – which is banned by the European Convention on Human Rights.  The prisoner’s lawyers also argued the embargo failed to take account of the impact tobacco withdrawal might have in light of his known emotional and mental vulnerability.

  It was claimed prison staff should have considered supplying him with nicotine patches during the week-long ban to help tackle the pain of his addiction.

  The smoking ban, which was imposed alongside other disciplinary sanctions, came under attack in the High Court as Foster pushed for a judicial review and a damages claim under the Human Rights Act.

  Philip Rule, Foster’s barrister, claimed the ban was disproportionate to his offence, breached his human rights and that smoking was, in Foster’s case, a right, not a privilege to be withdrawn.

  However, Mr Justice Kenneth Parker dismissed the challenge, noting Foster had an “appalling” disciplinary record behind bars, including the use of “extremely abusive and insulting language” towards the prison guard.

  The judge concluded the ban was “neither irrational nor disproportionate”. He said: “There was no evidence of remorse or contrition following conviction.”

  Source: Sutton Guardian, 03 August 2010
  Link: http://bit.ly/bAFNMr