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Smoking and Health Review

Date: Jan 1985
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Volume XV, Number 1 ASH Urges State Commissioners To Support Nonsmokers' Health Insurance Discount ASH Executive Director John Banzhaf was invited to make a speciaresen- tation to the National Association of In- surance Commissioners (NAICLhe a- peared at a press conference with the NAIC Presid_t en and other key o'ci Is t~~r_ornote the concept of _dif rent_ health insurance rates for smokers and ngnsmokers. Although many compan- ies already offer lower rates to nonsmokers for LIFE insurance, this idea would dramatically affect the HEALTH insurance industry. It could provide a powerful additional economic incentive for smokers to quit. The NAIC is made uo of&,ommis- sioners in the 50 states who reaulate insurance rates andLLhe_lnsu_ran__ce, in_- dustry. Since their approval is required for most insurance rate increases,__and they are often influential in proposing new insurance legislation, they have the ability to strongly encourqge_if not actually reguire the adoption of various r_ate structures. Under the proposal to be consid- ered by the NAIC both smokers and nQnsmokers would be charqed rates that reflect their different health_care costs. Thus, the majority of American adults who are nonsmokers would pay less for their health insurance, and the minority who smoke and voluntarily subject themselves to far greater health risks would pay substantially more. The Evidence Banzhaf _beaan by oresenting the noted that it does _so by causing a variety of very serious diseases such as lung cancer and cardiovascular pro- blems; by causing or exacerbating a wide variety of conditions that, though less serious, still require medical treat- ment; by generally weakenincLthe pa- tient and requiring longer hospital ss and longer recovery periods; and by causingjncreased health problems for the spouses and children (who are usually covered under a family policy) and co-workers (who are often covered by a company policy). Figures cited by a George Washington University task force testi- fying with Professor Banzhaf showed that smoking unnecessarily increases health care costs by at least $11 billion In This Issue . . . . 0 . . . ASH Urges State Commis- sioners To Support Nonsmokers' Health Insurance Discount ASH Overview: Promising Suit Filed on Behalf of Youth Killed by Snuff R. J. Reynolds Still Deceives Public Curb Tobacco Addiction, U.S. Official Says Passengers Again Demand Smoke-Free Flights Send a "Somebody Loves You" Valentine Nonsmoking Activists Honored Regular features January 1985 each year, although the figure might go as high as $80 billion. Thus, even under the most conservative estimate, smokers might be forced to pay an ad- ditional $200 a year for their health in- surance; another estimate is that rates for smokers should increase by at least 50 percent. For those who suggest that smokers are being asked to pay too much, Banzhaf notes that these figures represent only a small part of the total cost of smoking that nonsmokers are now forced to bear. This figure could easily top $100 billion. Policy Analysis Under a system where all insured pay the same rates, nonsmokers subsidize the habits of smokers; Banzhaf main- tained that this is not only fundamen- tally unfair but possibly illegal. One ma- jor benefit of differential rates is that they would end this mandatory subsidy and require smokers to bear their own fair share. The other major advantage, he argued, is that it will provide a strong additional financial incentive for smokers to quit. The threat of financial sanctions is often a major factor in con- trolling dangerous behavior, Banzhaf said, citing compliance with traffic laws as a good example. One problem troubling the health in- surance industry is determining the risk factors on which it would be, both fair and legal to_base rate dfferentials. Professor Banzhaf offered the NAIC three criteria suggestingthat rate dif- ferentials based upon risk_factors that Continued on page 2 SMOKING AND HEALTH REVIEW. Action on Smoking and Health. 2013 H St.. N.W.. Washington. DC 20006. Action on Smoking and Health. a national nonprofit tax ASH Review exempt orgamzauon concerned with the problems of smoking and the rights of nonsmokers, is entirely supported by tax-deductible contributions. Regular contributors _ Jan. 1985 receive the Smokmg and Health Review, Printed portions of the Review may be reprinted with credit to ASH Page 1 2500082869 ~ °. evidence that now conclusivelv demonstrates __that_ smoking causes_ vastly increased health care costs. He
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ASH Urges Health Insurance Discount Continued from page 1 met each of the criteria would be clear- ly proper and clearly legal. The three criteria are: 1. The risk factor must cause substan- tially increased reased health care costs. 2. It must be easily and obiectively verifiable. 3. It must be subject to change by the insured and, if changedt reault in lower health care costs. ASH's executive director argued that smoking meets each of these criteria On the Job To provide nonsmoking employees "with a working environment that is as smoke-free as practical," the giant Grumman Corporation will designate most public areas as no-smoking. At least half of all eating spaces and lounges will be reserved for non- smokers. Austin, Texas, firefighter Tom Newsom was transferred to a desk job after he asked the fire chief to ban cigarette smoking inside fire stations. Newsom said that he had no problem at fires because everyone was provid- ed with air masks. "We're better off at a fire than we are at our own stations," he observed. Former Fresno County (California) employee Linda Batchelor has been awarded $27,397 in back pay and $10,000 in damages for emotional dis- tress suffered because the county didn't try to find her a smoke-free office when it became apparent that she was allergic to tobacco smoke. The grant was made by the state Fair Em- ployment and Housing Commission. Canada's Labor Code has been revised, and one of the changes gives workers the right to refuse to work in dangerous circumstances. _"Danger" has been redefined to mean "any hazard or condition that could reason- ably be expected to cause injua or ill- ness to a person exposed thereto." Nonsmokers'-rights activists' betieve that the new wording will give non- smoking workers a new tool to safe- guard their health in the workplace. more strongly than any other risk fac- tor, and is therefore a most appropriate basis for rate differentials. Maintaining proper weight and controlling blood pressure are two other risk factors that may meet those criteria; the NAIC is considering them also. Other Health Risks According to this analysis, it might not be possible to charge higher rates to alcohol abusers because of the difficul- ty and expense of determining who they are. However, since most alcohol abusers are also smokers, a rate category for nonsmokers would also reflect cost saving resulting from the relative absence of diseases caused by alcohol abuse. Similarly, failure to exercise regular- ly, "Type A" behavior, and the use of illicit drugs might not provide a good basis for higher rates because of the difficulties of objective verification. Smoking, on the other hand, as Ban- zhaf pointed out, is something that is asked about every time medical care or hospital admission is sought. An in- dividual's smoking habit is well known to friends and co-workers and can be easily detected during blood or urine General U.S. N.C. breakdown deaths deaths Hsart disease 170,000 5,644 Cancer (all types) 130,000 3,109 Other COLD' (all types) 50,000 1,272 'Chvonic obstructlve lung disease. including emphysema and bronchitis A Emphysema ' Chronic bronchitis Other COLD Lung cancer * Laryngeal and oral cavity cancer C Eaophagealcancer E D Bladder and kidney cancer F Pancreatic cancer Q Coronary heart disease H Stroke ' I Peripheralvascular disease Atheroaclerosis U.S. N.C. deaths deaths 13,000 3,550, 1,272 33,450 94,350 2,371 U.S. N.C. deaths deaths 7,900 189 4,150 101 7,000 133 6,600 159 170,000 5,644 Attributed to smoking but not recorded N ~ ~ O 0 Oa N 100 "+3 0 Sources: US..Surgeun General Reports on Smoking and Health (1982, 1983, 19841 N.C. Vital Health Statistics Branch From Greensboro (N.C.) News & Record, 9/28/1984 analysis as well as by special saliva tests. For some behaviors that might tend to improve health, the difference in health costs is so small that a separate rate category could not be justified even if the behavior could be verified. Some examples of this are getting eight hours of sleep a night, eating a regular breakfast, and taking regular vacations. Not Like Sex Questions naturally came up about re- cent court decisions attacking plans that discriminate on the basis of sex, even where the different rates may be justified by actuarial experience. But Professor Banzhaf pointed out that sex, like race, is an immutable char- acteristic, and discrimination on this basis is strictly limited by law. This, of course, is not the case with smoking, a behavior that can be changed and a category not protected by law. As a pro- fessor of the law related to the han- dicapped, he also argued that smokers are not "handicapped", and therefore they are not protected under various laws prohibiting discrimination against the handicapped. Deaths attributed to smoNing StaH frannlc by Mldual H.11 ASH Review SMOKING AND HEALTH REVIEW. Action on Smoking and Health, 2013 H St.. N.W.. Washington. DC 20006. Action on Smoking and Heahh, a national nonprof t tax Jan, 1985 exempt organization concerned with the problems of smoking and the rights of nonsmokers. is entirely supported by taxdeductlble contnbutlons. Regular conlributors Page 2 receive the Smoking and Health Review. Printed portions of the Review may be reprinted with credit to ASH.
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ASH OVERVIEW: Promising Suit Filed on Behalf of Youth Killed by Snuff U.S. Tobacco has been sued for $37 million by a woman whose 19-year-old son died from oral cancer apparently caused by the company's tobacco muff. ASH attorneys believe that the s.uit has a significant chance of suc- cess because it does not have some of the problems presented in more traditional suits by cigarette smokers. The suit was filed by Betty APn Marsee, the mother of Sean Marsee, a former track star who died a painful death from oral squamous cancer, a condition that spread from his tongue to his neck and finally to his brain. His physician said that the youth's cancer was caused by a build-up of tar and nicotine in his mouth from using snuff and other smokeless tobacco, a habit he started at the age of nine. From his deathbed, where he was in great pain and unable to talk, Sean scrawled some last wishes on a pad of paper. One of his wishes was that his own experience be used to warn other young users of the potential health hazards of smokeless tobacco. He said that smokeless tobacco should carry a warning similar to that now required on cigarette packages and advertise- ments, and that endorsements of the product by athletes and entertainers encourage many kids to take up the deadly habit. Sean's wish may well come true, in part because of the lawsuit his mother has filed. The suit claims that U,S, Tobacco both negligently and wrongly failed to place health warnings on its smokeless tobacco products. The suit also claims that U.S. Tobacco has pro- rpoted its snuff as a "risk-free alter- native" to smokina. Legal Analysis Sean's mother could win the suit under at least three different legal theories. The first called the theory of negli- gence, requires her to show that the tobacco company was neg!igent in fail- ing to provide any warnings, i.e., that it failed to be as diligent as a reasonably prudent man in learning of the possible health risks and warning its users. The second, called the theory of warranty, says that a corripany can be liable if it makes a claim that turns out not to be true, even if the company could not have known this. U.S. Tobac- co's claims that snuff was a risk-free alternative to smoking could satisfy this requirement. Third, many courts have held that under a theory of strict liability a com- pany can be liable for a defective pro- duct that causes unreasonable risk of injiuryeven if thev ma_d_e-r_1QS!aims_and even if they did not know of the danger. In addition to compensation for her son's life, Mrs. Marsee may be able to recover punitive damages-damages designed to punish the company-if she can prove that the company acted improperly and with reckless disregard of the consequences to her son. ASH attorneys.point out that this suit avoids many of the.problems of other suits brought by smokers _ against tobacco coMganies._First, cigarettes do have a health warning, and a success- ful plaintiff will probably have to show that it was inade uate. Snuff carries no similar warning. Second, the risks of smoking have been very well publi- cized and are therefore well known, whereas the risks of using snuff are not generally known. Third, most smokers wha__contract deadlv_ d.is%a_ses _do so after smokina fo__ many years as adults. Jurors mav well f_l_that adults accept the risks of smoking and should not be allowed to recover. Sean Marsee howeveC-bia~using snuff as a child of nine, and his cancer was apparently well under w;V even before he became an adult. A jury is unlikely to blame a young boy for be- ing lured into a habit by seductive ads on television featuring hero figures pro- moting this deadly habit. Finally, Sean, a former athlete trying from his death- bed to warn other youngsters, makes a very sympathetic claimant. Other Views Doctors say that teenagers who use smokeless tobacco today may find themselves confronting a painful crisis as they approach middle age: cancer of the gums. Dr. David Kirsh, a radi- ologist in Coral Gables, Florida, notes in addition that young male snuffers and chewers "are showing early evi- dence of mouth lesions that are likely to turn into cancerous lesions later on. There is impressive evidence that we are dealing with something that really has explosive potential." Meanwhile, the director of the Na- tional Cancer Institute has spoken out about the increasing popularity of smokeless tobacco among young peo- ple. "This is a dangerous trend. Smokeless tobacco is not safe. Adver- tising for smokeless tobacco fails to warn the public that dipping and chew- ing tobacco may be associated with cancer of the mouth, pharynx; larynx, and esophagus." Nonsmoking Activists Honored ASH Certificates of Appreciation have been presented to the follow- ing for their efforts on behalf of nonsmokers' rights: • Joan Beck, columnist, Chicago Tribune. • American Automobile Associa- tion. • Bud Grant, former coach, Min- nesota Vikings. • Rodney Ervin, president of Walter Melon's (nonsmoking!) cafe. Rothmans a Qanadian ciaare1#e manufacturer has been accused of _ breaking the law because it doesn't warn smokers that its product is_addic- tive The charae was brouoht by-mol.e than two dozen prominent doctors and anti-smoking activists in Ontario, who say that the company is violating the province's Business Prac ice,5- Act. The American Heart Association has for the first time aimed one of its public service ads specifically at women. "Now you've come a long way," says the new broadcast spot. "You've quit." SMOKING AND HEALTH REVIEW Action on Smoking and Health, 2013 H St., N.W„ Washington, DC 20006. Action on Smoking and Health, a national nonprofit tax exempt organization concerned with the problems of smoking and the rights of nonsmokers. is entirely supported by tax-deouctible contributions. Regularcontributors receive the Smoking and Health Rewew. Printed portions of the Review may be reprinted with credit to ASH. - - ASH Review Jan. 7985 Page 3 2500082871
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- R. J. Reynolds Still Deceives Public In its ad claiming that "there is little evidence-and certainly nothing which proves scientifically_-that cigarette smoke causes disease in.nonsmol-_ ers," R. J. Reynolds cite_s two author- ities-but out of context or in_ a very misleading way_ One quote was from Lawrenc.eGar- finkle, chief statistician of the American Cancer Society. But Garfinkle says that the use of his name was "scandalous", and that he was guoted _ -"very_se-lect- ively and entirely out of_ con_text:' In reality, Garfinkle feels, "there is very much evidence to document the adverse health effects of second-hand smoke." The other study cited in the ads allegedly calculated that a nonsmoker inhales "1/1000 to 1/100 of one filter cigarette per hour." But this study, done by two Harvard researchers 10 years ago, only measured nicotine levels in the air, and from this extrapolated the intake of other e!ements of ci arette smoke-a method that many now find questionable. At least one of the study's two authors now says he strongly disagrees with Reyno!ds' inter- pretation of the report. "They are technically quoting cor- rectly, but giving a wrong impression," he said. "While_ I stand by the results ofmv study. I realize that other stud_ies sin_ce have s_ hown that passive smoke inhaled by _nonsmokers to be very much highe-r." In addition, epidemi- ological data "seem to indicate that there is a significant health hazard. There is also, aside from any possible health hazard, the great discomfort of second-hand smoke, which no one should have to live with." This series of ads also_uses other tricks and oimmick"pparent!y de- signed to mi I.ad th . oubli_c, F-or_exam- p!e, they cite the resu!ts of_one con- ference without revealing_t-hat it was sponsored by the tobacco_industry. Anyone can say anything at a con- ference, but little weight should-be given to it until it is published in a major scientific or medical Oournal. These medical and scientific jour- nals insist on the very highest stan- dards of research and accurate repor- ting. By citing only papers presented at conferences, the tobacco industry tacitly acknowledges that it can find nothing of a caliber to refute the published articles that indicate that am- bient tobacco smoke can cause a variety of health problems, including lung cancer, for nonsmokers. Why not try to make use of the ads? Ask a friend or co-worker if he or she has seen the Reynolds ads. See what, they think about them. Explain how the ads are deceptive,•_discuss the massive amount of evidence condemning am-_ bient tobacco SmQk~- Probably both you and your friend or co-worker-will benefit. Try it on both smokers and nonsmokers. You may be surprised at the results! News You Should Know "We're the tobacco industry, too," says the headline on a full-page ad placed in five national magazines by the Bakery, Confectionery and Tobac- co Workers International, the largest union in the tobacco industry. The gist of the ad is that nonsmoking is hazard- ous to some people's jobs. Writes Chicago Tribune columnist Joan Beck in response, "You have to admire the tobacco workers' chutzpah. Even undertakers and mortuary managers don't have the audacity-and insensi- tivity-to suggest that people keep on taking deadly risks so business will be good." Entertainer Pearl Bailey, chair of the 1984 Christmas Seals campaign, quit smoking cold turkey eight years ago. "Honey, I huffed and puffed and now the smell of smoke makes me sick," she says. "It's no good!" Smokers should avoid_lighting up for 24 hours before giving blood, accor- ding to Omaha researchers_reporting on the high levels of carbon monoxide in random units of donated blood. One of the researchers said that carbon monoxide levels in certain samples were high enough to impair heart or lung function in patients with heart or lung disease. Concluded a Los Angeles Times editorial called "Blowing Smoke" (September 16, 1984), "If Congress really wanted to discourage smoking as a matter of national health policy, it would impose economic disincentives on the growing of tobacco and the pur- chase of cigarettes. Instead it settles for wimpy warnings, and then pretends it has accomplished something." Correction. Our sincere apologies to Elizabeth Whelan of the American Council on Science and Health, who wrote the excellent article published in the Wall Street Journal and discussed in the Executive Director's Report of the November 1984 ASH Review. Although Ms. Whelan's name was in- advertently omitted, she deserves a great deal of credit for exposing the ac- tivities and conflicting interests of Time, Newsweek, and the American Medical Association. Orc~anizers of the 1986 Winter Oly m pics, _to be held_in CalgaryL Alberta, have announced that they_wili not ac- cept spons_orship ,~from tobacco companies. Although the tobacco industry "re- mains so profitable that a constant pro- blem is how to reinvest all the excess cash that tobacco brings in, since few other endeavors are as profitable," business analysts say that the in- dustry's profits are threatened d by-the success of discounting, _now being _done by_three of.the maior companies. If other companies decide_to_enter the- discounting arena, price wars may result in an industry where price_ com- petition has been conspicuous by its a nce. ~ San Francisco Superv_isor _ Wendy Nelder, sponsor of her city's workplace s~noking !aw,-be!ieves__that_Del Monte Co_rp_-a wholly owned subsidiary of R. J. Reynolds-recrs.ti.ted-a spy in her office to help in the unsuccessful bat- tle against "Proposition P." A D_ el Monte executive told Nelder that he had arrange to u for her secretary's college education in exchange for in- formation about Nelder's activities. 0 ASH Review SMOKING AND HEALTH REVIEW, Action on Smoking and Health. 2013 H St. N.W. Washington: DC 20006, Act on on Smoking and Health, a nati-onal nonprofit tax. Jan. 1985 exempt organization concerned with the problems of smoking and the rights of nonsmokers, is entirely supported by tax-deductible contributions. Regular contributors Page 4 receive the Smoking and Health Review. Printed portions of the Review may be reprinted with credit to ASH.
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. 0 Ideas for Activists Falcon Heights Pharmacy in Min- nesota kicked the tobacco habit on Great American Smokeout Day 1984 and will no longer sell any tobacco products or smoking paraphernalia. Other pharmacies have told co-owner Lowell Anderson, an officer in the American Pharmaceutical Association, that he is crazy. "We're trying to send a message to the community that we don't wish to encourage smoking any- more," Anderson said. After a crowd of antismokers_pro- nounced them guilty, R_ J._Reynolds and Philip Morris were I,ynched in ef- figy by two doctors in Midd!etow_n,_Con- necticut. Said one of the two, "Some people may think it is unprofessional and somewhat incongruous to have doctors arranging a mock lynching. Well, they may be right. But, unfor- tunately, we do not have a multi-million- dollar advertising budget to try to sell our side of the story." "Newspapers and the Advertising Code: Cash or Conscience?" was the headline on the full-page ad published by Canada's Non-Smokers' Rights Association in the Toronto Globe and Mail last October. The ad-endorsed by the Canadian Cancer Society and the Canadian Lung Association-took the media to task for their continual violation of the Canadian Code of Advertising Standards by carrying advertisements for tobacco products. "The Healthy Majority," a coalition of 20 health-related organizations in Marylend has hired a!obbyist to work f.or nonsmokers'rights leaislation in_ th_ e state capital. Call city hall and ask for information concerning local ordinances ap- plicable to smoking in public places. Write to, telephone, amd visit city and county officials, urging them to support nonsmokers' rights in their areas. Where smoking in supermarkets is a problem: The Kingsdale (Ohio) Big Bear supermarket has halted smoking in the store by making periodic no- smoking announcements on the store's public address system. Shoppers are reminded of the no-smoking policy, store management doesn't have to risk explosive confrontations with regular customers-and cigarette ashes don't fall into the fruits and vegetables. To make sure that her letter asking legislators not to weaken a non- smokers=rights bill was read, an 80-year-old Alaska woman adorned her envelope with an original oil painting of a mountain scene. The recipient of the letter, a state senator, said, "It's the most effective piece of lobbying I've ever seen" and added that he planned to frame the envelope and hang it on his office wall. Send a "Somebody Loves You" Valentine What can you do to show concern for a friend or loved one who smokes but doesn't want to listen to your "preach- ing and nagqing" on the subject? Do what many other ASH supporters have done: send a"Somebody Loyes You" va!betlti.n.e! Here's how: • A concerned nonsmoker sends__ ASH a contribution of $20 in the name of a loved one who s-mQkes_ and asks ASH to send the smoker a"Some_ body Loves You" valentine. • In time for Valentine~e Day, ASH will send the smQkff3-s.pe_cial valentines telling them that someone who loves them is ooncern_e_d__about their smoking. • We will not tell the smokers who it is that loves them, but only that someone is concerned that they are killing themselves by smoking. • In addition the smoker will receive the rJext six i,ssues of the ASH Review to serve as a reminder_and additional incentive to quit. If they request, we will send them additional information on how to quit smoking. This program has already helped many of our supporters to reach peo- ple who are still smoking and who may be reluctant to listen to the advice of their concerned friends and loved ones. If you would like us to send a "Somebody Loves You" valentine, please do the following: • Be sure to send wth your donation the name and complete mailing ad- dress of your friend, and clearly mark it "SOMEBODY LOVES YOU." • Be sure that it reaches ASH by January 30, 1985, so that the valentine will arrive on time. Requests sent after that date will be filled as they arrive throughout the year. Find out what the smoking policy is at your local high school. Talk with students, faculty and administrators. Try to get stricter policies for tobacco use on school grounds. Don't forget to discuss the health hazards of the smokeless tobacco that is growing in popularity among young people, especially young men! N CA 0 0 0 ~ m ~ w SMOKING AND HEALTH REVIEW. Action on Smoking and Health. 2013 H St , N.W. Washington. DC 20006. Action on Smoking and Health, a national nonprofit tax ASH Review exempt organization concerned with the problems of smoking and the rights of nonsmokers, is entirely supported by tax-deductible contributions. Regular contributors Jan. 1985 receive the Smokmg and Health Review, Printed portions of the Review may be reprinted with credit to ASH. Page 5
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~assengers Again Demand Smoke- Free Flights Smoking on airplanes is the third most fre~u_egtly voiced complaint among flyers 66 ercent1after_delayed flights and lack of leg room, and almost two thirds of frequent flyers-63 percent -think that smoking should be totally banned on all commercial planes. Travelers consider smoking a more serious problem than lost baggage (61 percent), overbooked flights (59 per- cent), or food and beverage service (57 percent). These conclusions were reached by USA Today and published on its November 7, 1984, edition. They ey sub- stantiate three ear ier surveys taken by_ two different airlines and by Newsweek magazine. In all four surveys, the ma- jority of passengers favored a complete ban on smoking, at least on short flights. Earlier this year, the Civil Aero- nautics Board (CAB) adopted by a 3-2 vote an ASH proposal that smoking be banned on all flights and flight segments of up to two hours. Such a rule would have made over 90 percent of all flights smokeless. However, the decision was reversed only hours after the vote when CAB Chairman Dan McKinnon changed his vote after receiving phone calls from influential members of Congress. The authority to regulate smoking once the CAB goes out of o eration at ~__~__ _. the end of the year has now been transferred, with ASH's support, to the Department of Trans~ortation (DOT). In addition, the existing rules will remain in effect: DOT can only change them after going through an elaborate rule- making proceeding. In the meantime, public kressu_re for smoke-free flights seems to be building. You can help by voicing your cQncerns every time You make reser- _s__~_.~_v ,-. -- -- vations or inquiries, when you_ board, a0d while vou are_flyinge Your voice can make an important difference. Please speak out. For a free brochure called "Your Smoke Is Their Smoke: A Guide for Parents Who Smoke," call toll-free (800) 952-7444. Now Available Appel Farm Arts & Music Center is both a working farm and a summer camp specializing in music and the fine and performing arts for children from six to eighteen. For the last fifteen years, the camp has hired only nonsmokers. To learn more, write to Appel Farm Arts & Music Center, RD 3, Box 532, Elmer, NJ 08318, or telephone (609) 358-2472. A solid brass "Thank You for Not Smoking" plaque has been devel- oped by the World Organization for Science and Health. It's ideal for front door, dashboard, and office and can be ordered for $3.75 plus $1.25 shipping from the World Organization for Science and Health, RO. Box 1111, Southport, CT 06490. "Smoking Deserves a Smart Answer" is an innovative, inexpensive program designed to teach nine- to thirteen-year-olds how to resist peer pressure to smoke. It includes a teacher's resource guide, sample role- playing situations to be used in class or group,and seven humorous posters depicting smart answers to pro- smoking persuasion. It's available for $9.00 a kit from the American Lung Association of Maryland, 11 East Mt. Royal Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21202. ENNANCED WARNlQG,5 09 UGAQETZE QACKS W01J'T DO ANY GOoD. WNV, z X-RAYEO 100 c{{pIN 5ti10KER5 AI,O FDUND TRY OtDN'T KAVE. iWtHING 1t C? il- ® 'MESa WEU BRAIk X-RA45. R The Tobacco Institute and the National iiIOTNlNG {CWED V Association of State Boards of Educa- tion have co-produced "Helpin~Youth Decide_," a slick, 20-page booklet in- tended to help young people make an informed decision about whether to smoke or not. The institute maintains that it is actively trying to discourage young people from smoking. Outgoing Federal Trade Commissioner Michael Pertschuk disagrees, saying that "every [cigarette] company is trying to reach that market." For a free copy of "Helping Youth Decide," write to the National Association of State Boards of Education, P.O. Box 1176, Alexandria, VA 22313. Q uality Inns International is now set- ting aside 10 percent of the rooms in all its many facilities for the use of nonsmokers. What's_more, during the year beginning October 1, 1984, the chain will donate $1 to the American Lung Association for every booking made through its special no-smoking reservations number. Call toll-free (800) 228-LUNG. The 1985 cruise schedule is now available from Cebu Cruises, 1017 168th Avenue, S.E., Bellevue, WA 98008. Cebu specializes in informal, totally nonsmoking cruises between Seattle and British Columbia. FC !J 't,La ~~ ANY 4F 10 E 5T X-1~14~5 I Up E C4l 0 IN& g ~\~\`110, \\~\\\~a \ ~ \ \ \ \ . \\~~\~ ~ ~ ~~~\ ~ . a \ \\ ~ \ • . . i anoe sa 1 e0car aa 99 ~\ ~~~~::;;;y \ ..'or'' \ 1~r~3Aayw \\~\: ~, .~\~~\\ a:. \\.. kh- I ASH Review SMOKING AND HEALTH REVIEWAct:on on Smoking and Health. 2013 H St.,N W.. Washington. D-C 20006, Action on Smoking and Health. a nauonal nonprofit tax Jan. 1985 exempt organization concerned with the problems of smoking and the ngnts of nonsmokers. is ent:rely supported by tax-deducUble comribuGUns. Regular contriboto_ rs- Page 6 receive the Smoking and Health Review, Printed portions ot the Review may be reprinted with credrt to ASH.
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ctirb Tobacco Addiction, U.S. Official Says The federal government's top drug- addiction official has urged increased limitations on the freedom to "push" tobacco because new evidence su~ gests that tobacco has far more addic- tive potential than either alcohol or heroin. Dr. William Pollin heads the National Institute on Drug Abu_se, a federal acLency ordinarily concerned_with illicit drugs. He spoke out about tobacco because it may be as much as eight times_Oeadlier than the excessive use of alcohol and far more resistant to suc- cessful treatment than heroin addic- tion. Heroin addiction is also less likely to be fatal than the continued use of tobacco. Calling tobacco "a powerfully addic- tive drug," Pollin noted than cigarettes cause seven times more deaths each year (350,000) than motor vehicle crashes and 100 times more than Acquired Immune Deficiency Syn- drome (AIDS), which is regarded as a national epidemic. Recognition of tobacco as a fatally addictive drug, said Pollin, "raises questions about what is the proper responsibility of those who are pushing it ... sel ling it ... encouraging new groups in our society to purchase and use this material." Although he does not support a prohibition-type effort, he said, "It does appear that our society should seek some appropriate way to inhibit the present degree of freedom to 'push' its most prevalent drug of abuse-nicotine" Pollin says the extent of smo_kinq ad- diction far outstrips heroin abuse. "We estimate there are roughl~ 400,000 heroin addicts in the country, w_hereas th.ar-e-aig 30 million to4_0_ million nicotine addicts," he said. Unfortunately, Dr. Pollin's message will probably not reach our decision makers unless voters indicate that it is a matter of concern to them. Now, while legislators are getting ready for a new session and wondering what is on voters' minds, might be a good time to write about your concerns. Tobacco growers face future clouded by politics By Carolyn Pesce USA TODAY RALEIGH, N.C. - To Rich- ard Jenks, who still harvests his tobacco plants by hand, the politics intertwined with the USA's oldest cash crop are as uncertain as his next harvest. "I'm frustrated, but I just handle it. ... I've had to fall back on some things I'd put up for my retirement, and I shouldn't have to do that," said Jenks, who for 22 years has lived on a 113-acre farm about 30 miles south of Raleigh. For Jenks and 250,000 other growers in the USA, the future of tobacco is as questionable as whether Sen. Jesse Helms, R- N.C., will keep his campaign promise today and remain on the Agriculture Committee. Helms' position as chairman of the committee for the past four years has given farmers the support they have needed for their tobacco program. "We have a lot of anti-tobac- co people in Washington. We need all the support we can get," said Jerome Vick, who grows 75 acres of tobacco. "It's a very ticklish situa- tion," said Atlas Wooten of the state's Farm Bureau. Most of the farmers out there are say- ing we want control of the Sen- ate Agriculture Committee." But conservatives, including the Conservative Caucus, are urging Helms to head the more powerful Foreign Relations Committee. To back up its posi- tion, the caucus Tuesday re- leased a survey saying North Carolinians, by 2-1, want Helms on Foreign Relations. Some farmers think it's too late for even Helms to save the industry. Production has dropped from about 2.5 billion pounds 10 years ago to 1.7 bil- lion pounds this year. "I think tobacco's gone - I think it's on its last leg," said Earl Logan, 76, who farms 19 acres - 43,000 pounds - of to- bacco with his son, Steve, 34. Among the problems:  Thegovernment's price- support system, which at- tempts to balance supply and control production, is not work- ing. More than 900 million pounds of tobacco taken over by the program since 1976 still sit unsold in warehouses.  Exports for growers are plunging because of a glut on the world market.  Imports are increasing. Cigarette manufacturers and some farmers say the average domestic price set by the gov- ernment at $1.70 per pound is too high compared with the es- timated $1 to $1.20 per pound price overseas.  The increase in the feder- al excise tax on cigarettes from 8 cents to 16 cents in 1983 has helped lower tobacco use. Farmers have delayed plans for their 1985 crop because of possible changes to the pro- gram, including reducing the quota they are allowed to grow due to a glut on the market. "Normally by this time farmers can start making plans," Wooten said. "They're saying, 'It's time for us to know something.' " At the Local Level Massachusetts towns and cities are on a roll for nonsmokers' rights: Swampscott, Randolph, Framing- ham, and Lynnfield have enacted laws to guarantee no-smoking sec- tions in restaurants, bringing to 15 the number of communities in the state with such ordinances. In line to be number 16 is Northampton, where overwhelming support was recently voiced at a public hearing on regulations that would restrict smoking in public places. The board of education in Prince George's County, Maryland, has prohibited students from smoking or chewing tobacco products on school grounds. Gainesville, Florida, now has an ordinance that "ranks right up there at the top" with some of the most restrictive in the country. The new law will ban smoking in the public areas of both public and private buildings, and will also guarantee the right of nonsmokers to breathe smoke-free air in the workplace. In Kansas, the city of Overland Park implemented a clean indoor air act on October 12, 1984, and the Wichita-Sedgwick County Board of Health broadened and approved a request, made by Wichita GASP, to restrict smoking in certain county- owned public areas. The board has recommended that smoking be banned in all county-owned public areas. The Regional Transportation Dis- trict in the Denver, Colorado, area resisted tobacco industry pressure and reaffirmed its ban on tobacco and liquor ads on public buses. And finally, in San Jose, Califor- nia, a tough anti-smoking law similar to those enacted in San Francisco and Palo Alto has been proposed in the city council. Suggesting that the high cost of medical care is due at least in part to the high cost of smoking, ASH Trustee Dr. Charles Tate gave fellow doctors an economic reason to persuade smoking patients to quit. Since "the rising cost of health care has eroded our stature," in the public eye, he said in the October 1, 1984, issue of Medical Economics, "smoking has cost us all." SMOKING AND HEALTH REVIEW Action on Smok ng and Heaith. 2013 H St . N.W.. Washington. DC 20006. Action on Smoking and Health, a national norrprofit tax- ASH Review exempt organization concerned with the problems of smoWng and the nghts of nonsmokers. is entLrely supported by tax-deductible contributions. Regular contributors - Jan. 1985 receive the Smoking and Health Review Printed portions of the Review may be reprinted with credit to ASH _ Page 7
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;E~ECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S REPORT and millions of dollars. We all have a great deal to be proud of. AND THAT'S NOT ALL: 1984 saw the pas- sage of very tough legislation pro- tecting nonsmoking workers in several major municipalities. On the federal level three major bills were passed requiring stronger health warnings, a study of fire-safe cigarettes, and keep- ing intact the power of the federal government to regulate smoking on air- planes. The CAB adopted new rules pro- tecting nonsmoking airline passengers, and for one shining moment voted to ban smoking on short flights! People began to pay more attention to the economic costs of smoking -- a development which may be as important to the war on smok- ing in the 1980's as the nonsmokers' rights movement was in the 1970's. And most importantly, the movement is con- tinuing to grow, and the momentum is clearly with us, to carry into the new year and look forward to even greater victories. AND SO, with this brief report of how a~ r we have come and how much has been accomplished, I would like to wish you all, on behalf of our staff and Trus- tees, a very happy Festive Season and a healthy and prosperous 1985. Your sup- port makes our life-saving work possi- ble, and without your kind support we could not continue. PZease know at this holiday season that your contributions have made a tremen- dous difference, and that millions will Live to celebrate, because of your generosity. This is the true spirit of brotherhood and Love, and WE AT ASH SALUTE YOU! a SMOKING AND HEALTH REVIEW 2013 H STREET, N.W. • WASHINGTON, DC 20006 ACTION ON SMOKING AND HEALTH, a national nonprofit tax-exempt organization concerned with the problems of smoking and the rights of nonsmokers, is entirely supported by tax-deductible contributions. Regular contributors receive the ASH Smoking and Health Review. Printed portions of the Review may be reprinted with credit to ASH. A COMPARISON?: In India some 2,000 peop e die suddenly from inhaling toxic fumes which escape accidentally, and it is front-page news for many days, a U.S. plant closes down, and the company faces bankruptcy. Yet, when a study at the EPA indicates that in the U.S. each and every year more than twice that number may die a slow and terribly painful death from lung cancer caused by in- haling other people's tobacco smoke, the story isn't even mentioned in most pa- pers, many people never hear of it, tobacco companies keep raking in money, and smokers continue deliberately to subject nonsmokers to the toxic fumes. Why then does the tobacco industry lead such a charmed and protected life, when it kills more than all of these put together; when it causes the most dan- gerous, but also the most easily con- trolled, form of air pollution affecting virtually all of us indoors; and yet has also managed to escape any legal lia- bility for all• of the death and disa- bility it regularly causes? BUT WE'RE WINNING: But there is no onger any question about the light at the end of the tunnel; a tunnel's end we will surely reach within the lifetime of many of us. As THE NEW YORK TIMES re- cently noted: the percentage of adult smokers has dropped from 37% in 1980 to 29% in 1983; the percentage of high school smokers has dropped from 29% in 1977 to 21% in 1983; and last year there was a full 7% decline in per-capita consumption of cigarettes by Americans. These percentages are very large con- sidering the difficulty of changing behavior, and each represents the sav- ings of hundreds of thousands of lives Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Washington, D.C. Permit No. 43850 6733 MRS. WILLIAM MEBANE 36 HAJJJNFIELJRJ SHORT HILLS, NJ 07078 fv L r I

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