Tobacco Documents Online

pra tl~aYslv Drk!S'1iMz Frattd.1 i.'Josl 1DQLtit A. oCria. PW1Yltef tiK•JotS ARTiII rx !LYli 11ULtat:xcsa, P.El-.A.f 1 rJa'-J #f J OItvILL' bR7t1tIDY.,PslG.il.r1l474892 AIRItUIt A.'1tw;:1~1.i.rWt4Lri I~Y~INA.f' ~'. L.l1. ROlttlttlrUAL, Elteatles f.da.r. p:TUtuUKRlrr7MG VLa.Ttayfdtt.r. AKKHU[Gt3Jt.,ntprtrX..attuy r.~dttarj,A'MlJ[L.GKl.l:MflLLit. A.n.hwtMa.ayt.p F.d.M. ly.TUR MILLOMlS, Ar,.illa.f IL..eyt.g6JctM LOUty i1LYCRaTL7N„Aa.u.l/1./ Mapyt., E/tt..• 1tMi/LIMKE1.,r•dit.riwfPop. LJ.tr.. INp1 IrLWMTHAL, l+~rrty F.Ittrn.l C.,w J:da,n' CnAKiI7RC t:U=rlt1, A...r.a. ,Ldter.. 0 To11 WtCai7t„A..rei.lr Edtt.n AP'R I L 2, 1980 Wednes!day C 1'hy Neighbor's Lungs I The case for restricting smoking ih public rooms is bacco smoke. Perhaps' these dangers alone justify re. gedingstronger. atrictions on public smokttag; It probably risks the. :Until lately the battle between smokers and' non+ health of millionsof espet:i aliyvulnerable people. amqkers has been more emotional than scientific. ' The sensitive smoker has replied, In effect, that at Stnpkers proclaim a'"right"to light up anywhere and' most be causes an eye to itch andla throat to scratch,-- sxy they're harming onlythemseives. Nonsmokers say ' discomfort rather than harm. But that defense may ttie ftunes make them sick andldemand a""right"'to clean air. But neither side could show conclusively that tobAcco smoke is either safe or haxardbus to healthy byst1nders.Lcking hard data, some resorted to,hard language, even fists; an Eastern airliner was actually lorqed to the ground by such a dispute last year.. ,That smoking can harm arnokers is no longer in serfous doubt: The habit has been'implicated In cancer, beaR disease, bronchialiailments and severalldufferent allergies. It may well be the most important public bealth problem in the United States. jirrevennons'ntokers at risk? Some sensitive per- soq, appear to be. Young children raised in smoke-, tilled homes are more apt to develop bronchitis or pnewrtonia earlyin life. Victims of'heartarod'ltutg,dis. .ase or of allergies are apt to sutfer ii exposed to to. now be crumbling. Astudy publishediby The Mew Eng. land Journal of Medicine concludes that'healthy work. ers sufferedilung damage when exposed on the, job to tobacco smoke for 2D years or more. Some of their liiutgs"tiny air tubes and sacs were scarred, and their performance on breathing,tests was impaired. 1t'ork- (ng in~a smoky ennnronment seettaed to have the same adiverseeffeet as smoking one toiten cigaretaes a day. Thatis not yet proofthat'the redi,ce,iliungfunction, In an otherw•ise healthy body is medically impartastt. Most, v8ctitnswere probably tanawareof the impair- ment. But deterioration of the small airways ini the lung does often precede lung,dJsease. It is another rea- ton, on top of,earlier reasons. to prohibit smokiiag,in in- door pubiic piaces unless the smokers can be segre. jated so that'iheycasutot jeopardJzrtheirneigh5ors.