The Daily Spectrum from Saint George, Utah • 6

Smokers say Ihey have rights too ome Family THE DAILY SPECTRUM THURSDAY, APRIL 30, 1987 PACE 6 lect follow-up information on the vol by John M. Lelghty upi Feature writer I il ism. jC-O Edgel, Hunt Walts, Slade started the group with her husband, Sidney, a non-smoker. "We're concerned with the rights of smokers who choose to smoke. It's a legitimate habit." 1,: The Overalls, who run a public relations firm on St.

Simons Island, said they quickly formed a mailing list of 10,000 people who have con-, tacted them for information. "Smokers are in the minority, but we're saying don't eliminate us from the face of the earth," said Overall, a smoker. "We really think it's time that smokers stand up and be counted." She said PUFFS was chosen as an acronym for the organization because it stresses that smokers should be courteous, friendly and respect the rights of non-smokers. The group was started, she said, after seeing a newspaper ad that read "no smokers need apply." "An employer can say don't smoke on the job, but they should give the person a chance to have the job," she said. "We're trying to alert people to the dangers that might occur if these things aren't challenged.

We're coming dangerously close to the next prohibition." i Her husband's favorite phrase, she said, was: "Don't throw out the Civil Rights with the cigarette butts." Psychologists say although 54 million people still smoke, many of them have tried or, considered quitting, particularly because of the well-known physical hazards of long term use lung cancer, birth defects, emphysema, heart disease and vocal cord damage. Gertler said when a person quits it takes only 48-72 hours for nicotine to leave the body and that physical cravings for a smoke last on the average only 60 seconds. Carbon monoxide levels in the blood drop to normal and oxygen increases to normal within eight hours, breathing becomes easier and lung capacity increases. Larry Woolf, president of Caesars Tahoe casino in Lake Tahoe, said he had trouble extinguishing the habit because he was told he looked good with a cigarette in his mouth. "I tried to quit several times, but it wasn't until I decided that I didn't want to be a bad influence on my son that I finally quit," Woolf said.

The casino is now cooperating with the American Lung Association in offering a series of smoking cessation clinics for employees, 30 of whom smashed ashtrays recently in a ges- -ture symbolizing their committment to quit. At Stanford University Medical Center, an experimental do-it-yourself stop-smoking program has enrolled 1,100 volunteers, all of whom had to agree to quit for 48 hours to participate. They are then assigned randomly to one of several eight-week programs. "It's a self-help program for people who don't want to join an ongoing support group" said program director Barbara Newman. We're test- ing things that people can use to strengthen their chances of staying off cigarettes on their own." Some participants receive weekly educational materials, called modules, designed to help them stay off cigarettes.

Others receive either nicotine chewing gum or a placebo gum containing inert substances. One group receives both gum and modules. Researchers said they will col unteers for two years. "Studies have shown that 95 per cent of Americans who have quit have done so on their own," said Dr. Stephen Fortmann, assistant director of medicine and head of the federally-funded project.

"What we're trying to do is help that independent process along a bit." Joe Walsh, a Sunnyvale, engineer, said he chose the Stanford 'program because he didn't have, to attend meetings. "I don't like tying myself up every evening to be indoctrinated on all the evils of smoking," said Walsh, who had a 30-year, three-pack-a-day habit before joining the program last February. He said nicotine gum gave him the support he needed to kick the powerful craving. "I won't go back to cigarettes," he says. "It was too hard to quit." Newman said nicotine addiction is strong and withdrawal can lead to irritability, anxiety and sleep disturbances.

However, she said, the hardest part of quitting is "breaking the habit" of lifting a cigarette to the lips 200 or more times a day, usually in connection with such things as answering the telephone or sipping a drink. Surveys by the American Cancer Society 'show that in general men with college educations, white-collar occupations and high-income levels are less likely to smoke than high school graduates, blue-collar workers ana men with low incomes. Statistically, 33 percent of the male population still smokes. Among women, 28 percent of the female population although in absolute numbers more women are smoking than-in the past, causing lung cancer to surpass breast tancer as the No. 1 cancer killer among women.

The disease claimed the lives of an estimated 41,000 women in 1985, nearly double the 22,000 deaths in 1976. The surveys show that women who work outside the home are more likely to smoke than housewives and women in households with a low family income. Smoking is also more likely if separated or divorced, or, in contrast to men, if employed in the income bracket. For those smokers considering quitting, the American Cancer Society provides the following tips: Throw out all cigarettes by breaking them in half and wetting them down. Clean out all ashtrays in home, office and car and put them away.

Discard matches and hide lighter. When the urge to smoke occurs, take deep rhythmic breaths. Exercise to relieve tension. Walk up stairs instead of taking the elevator. When tempted, think of a negative image associated with smoking such as burning a hole in clothing, or being out of breath walking up a hill.

Reward yourself. Try oral substitutes such as carrot sticks, sugarless gum. Eat three or more small meals to maintain constant blood sugar levels. Change habits connected with smoking. Drive a different route, eat in a new place.

Drink lots of liquid, but avoid caffeine and alcohol. Stay busy. Do a puzzle, knit a sweater, fix the sink, wash the dog. SAN FRANCISCO (UPI) There' are 54 million Americans who haven't "kicked the habit," preferring to enjoy a leisurely smoke rather than 'go through the anxiety and behavioral changes needed to quit Cigarettes, psychologists say, are often used for companionship, to re- i lieve stress, to repress anger and to enjoy good times by the 30 percent of' the population still puffing. Statistics show 32 million people are now ex-smokers, most of them quitting "cold turkey" because of health concerns and societal pressur- es particularly the emphasis on non-smoking rules on public transit, in work places, in restaurants and at recreational events.

However, people who still enjoy cigarettes say they have rights, too, and many are angry at the national trend toward treating them as second-class Dave Christian, 54, a former Navy jet pilot now jockeying a statistics desk with the federal government in San Francisco, said he's smoked since junior, high school, quitting once for seven months at age 18 cause of a wager. "I really don't think much about quitting," said Christian, saying he especially enjoys lighting up after his morning coffee, when sipping a martini and after the evening meal. "I figure there are worse things I could be doing," Christian said. "If you have to go, you might as well go doing something you enjoy." Christian said he occassionally gets irked at non-smokers who ask him to extinguish a cigarette, particularly if it's somewhere he's used to lighting up. Once on jury duty, he said, he found a seat beside a floor ashtray in a hall and had lit up when a man sat down beside him and asked him to put the cigarette out.

"I told him there were no nonsmoking signs, that I was there first and that he could (expletive deleted)," Christian said. "I have some rights too." Another smoker for 46 years said he quit once, for a month, and found it was easy "except for my head. I couldn't stop thinking about ciga- rettes." Joyce Gertler, who heads a smoking cessation program with a 42 percent success rate twice the national average at the Merritt Peralta Medical Center in Oakland, said addiction to cigarettes is mostly behavioral and psychological, pot physical. "The smoking habit is an elaborate complex behavior that reaches-into many aspects of the smoker's life," said Gertler. "The habit becomes part of the smokers' way of coping with stress, suppressing emotion and defining theis self-image.

"It is very hard for a person to quit unless they consider the behaviors which are connected with smoking and find substitutes for the habit in these settings." l' A small Florida-based organization called PUFFS People United For Friendly Smoking has started a membership drive and publishes a newsletter to keep smokers informed on laws and regulations that might affect their right to light up. "We really are not pro-smoking," said Dean Overall, who recently CEDAR CITY Val S. and Alta Edgel of Cedar City anounce the forthcoming marriage of their daughter. Mara Lee, to Maurice Floyd Hunt, son of Floyd D. and Lois T.

Hunt of St. George. Mara and Maurice will exchange vows May 1 in the St. George LDS Temple, a reception will be held in their honor that evening from 6 to 8 at the Greene Gate Village, 50 W. Tabernacle.

The bride-to-be is a graduate of Hurricane High schol. She graduated from Southern Utah State college with a Bachelor of Science degree in busines administration and economics. She also served the LDS Church in the Columbia, S.C., mission. She is currently employed at Creamer and Noble Engineering Inc. as office manager.

The prospective groom is a graduate of Dixie High School. He served the LDS Church in the Portland, mission and is self-employed, owning Hunt Framing Construction. The couple plan to make their home in St.George. ST. GEORGE Mr.

and Mrs. Victor G. Walts of Clearfield announce the forthcoming marriage of their daughter, Wendy Ann, to Todd Michael Slade, son of Mr. and Mrs. Jay Lynn Slade of St.

George. Wendy and Todd will exchange vows May 2 at Greene Gate Village. A reception will be held in their honor that evening from 7 to 9 in the Greene Gate Village. The bride-to-be graduated from Morgan High School in 1985 and attended Weber State College and Dixie College. The prospective groom is a 1983 graduate of Dixie High School and a 1985 graduate of Dixie College.

He is a senior at Brigham Young University and plans to continue his education in the fall. He is employed by The Daily Spectrum. The couple will make their home in St. George and plan to move to Provo in the fall. I 1 Norvsmokers: YouVe come a long way baby by Bill Lohmann upi Feature writer Carter, Rowland Slack, Francisco CEDAR CITY Mr.

and Mrs. Mike Slack of Cedar City announce the forthcoming marriage of their daughter, Traci Lynne, to Clay Francisco, son of Mr. and Mrs. William C. Francisco of Cedar City.

Traci and Clay will exchange vows Saturday, May 2, at the Cedar Stake Center. A reception will be held in their honor the same evening from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Cedar Stake Center. The bride-to-be attends Cedar High School and is employed by the Fiddler's Fitness Center in Cedar City. The prospective groom graduated from Cedar High and is employed at Albertsons in St.

George. He served an LDS mission to the Indiana, Indianapolis Mission. He is also a member of the Utah Army National Guard. The couple plan to make their home in Cedar City. ST.

GEORGE Gary and Betty Carter of St. George announce the forthcoming marriage of their daughter, Billie, to Rob Rowland, son of Richard and-Verla Rowland of Salt Lake City. Billie and Rob will exchange vows May 8 in the St. George LDS Temple. A reception will be held in their honor that evening from 7 to 9 p.m.

at Greene Gate Village. The bride-to-be is a graduate of Dixie High School and Dixie College. She is attending Brigham Young University this year and has also attended the BYU study abroad program in London, England. The prospective jroom is a graduate of Brighton High School and Dixie -College. He served the LDS Church in the Atlanta, Mission.

He plans to continue his education at the University of Utah. The couple plan to make their home in Salt Lake City. Beverly Hills, there is no smoking in that town's ritzy restaurants. In Holden, new hires on the police force must promise not to smoke even off duty. New York wasin line for severe smoking restrictions in public places before a state supreme court judge stepped in and ruled the regulations illegal.

But the battle is expected to go on. Even in the South, the nation's tobacco belt, the non-smoking movement has taken a firm grip. The small town of Waterford, took the biggest step. It banned smoking outdoors. "Smokers are feeling a lot of pressure," Banzhaf said.

"They're being made to feel second-class citizens." It would appear smokers have their backs to the wall, and blood-thirsty non-smokers are swooping in for the kill. i But, frankly, the situation is not quite so one-sided or so ugly, starting with the fact some 54 million people roughly 30 percent of American adults still smoke. Non-smoking groups wag the accusing finger at the tobacco industry, which spends millions in advertisements-each year to convince people to light up, and companies such as Philip Morris, which displays little regard for those who do not smoke and encourages smokers to say things like, "Smoking is the leading cause of statistics." "I think the evidence shows things have not gotten ugly and we don't expect it to get ugly," said Shane McDer-mott, a spokesman for the American Lung Association, which would prefer no smoking whatsoever. "The only people who try to make it look like war is the tobacco industry." Said Banzhaf, "I've actually been surprised at how little opposition there is to restricting smoking in places like the workplaces. Most of the opposition comes from the tobacco industry.

Five years ago, I'd get a barrage of 'I'm a smoker and I have But today, I find very few John Q. Citizens walking around saying, 'Damn it, I'm a smoker and you're infringing on my rights." There are belligerent non-smokers just as there are belligerent smokers but the majority of non-smokers don't care if others smoke their lungs out in private; they just do not want to breathe the smoke. However, as the number of non-smokers swells and it becomes more popular not to smoke, mild-mannered non-smokers have come out of the closet and are more willing to speak up. Many steadfastly refuse to let visitors smoke in their homes or cars, and some even complain in public places, such as restaurants, when smoke from the next 'table hovers over their meal. "It's very clear that people today are more concerned about lung cancer than with teary eyes," Banzhaf said.

"I think these new reports are spurring a new wave." -Yet for every headline about a dramatic non-smoking program, there remain dozens of other places that have no non-smoking policy. ATLANTA (UPI) As the woman walked toward the restaurant exit, another diner exhaled a cloud of cigarette smoke directly in her path. The woman coughed, angrily swatted the smoke out of her face and shot a nasty glance at the culprit. "Let's get out of here and get into some clean air," she" snapped to her companion, making sure the smoker heard every word. The smoker, a man in his 20s, playfully offered her a cigarette; the woman was not amused.

The pair exchanged dirty looks and muttered under their breaths. The scene was California, but it could have been anywhere in the United States. Where there's smoke these days, there's bound to be someone objecting to it. The battle lines have never been drawn so clearly with diehard smokers on one side and non-smokers, their ranks and courage growing each year, on the non-smokers apparently are winning as they gain momentum in their attempt to eat, work and breathe in peace without being invaded by tobacco smoke. "I think we are now in a period of dramatic change," said John Pinney, executive director of Harvard's Institute for the Study of Smoking Behavior and Policy.

"We're seeing a willingness of the non-smoking public to assert itself as a majority. And it is. We are, in effect, a non-smoking society and we're beginning to behave like one." -t Despite numerous victories across America, the nonsmoking movement shows no signs of complacency and leaders say they have no intention of slowing down. "The non-smokers' rights movement is probably only about 15 years old," said John Banzhaf, executive director of Action on Smoking and Health, a group that champions the rights of non-smokers. "It started at the beginning of the 1970s when we first asked for non-smoking sections on airplanes.

Up until a few years ago, that's about all we could show. "It wasn't until the last year or two when the reports by the National Academy of Sciences and Surgeon General came out that we could say absolutely, positively that smoking causes lung cancer in non-smokers," said Banzhaf, a law professor at George Washington University in Washington D.C. "That has been the major new catalyst, in the movement It has escalated the movement moved it up a quantum step." The shock waves have been felt around the country. In San Francisco, a city ordinance bans smoking in offices if only one employee complains. Down the coast in Crofts 90th birthday HURRICANE The family of Alvin Crofts gathered at the Hurricane park to be with their father, grandfather and great-grandfather in honor of his 90th birthday April 25.

Those in attendence were Lorus Juke Balzly of Salt Lake City, their children and grandchildren of Las Vegas, Nev LeOra Walt Cottle of Salt Lake City, Jack and Gloria Crofts of Kanab, Elain, wife of the late Maughan Crofts, their children and grandchildren of Page, and Colorado. Maureene Ramsay and children and grandchidren of Kanab and Harry and Everatha Crofts of Orderville, Flip and Jenny Siler and their children. "The Book of Alvin" researched by Kent Crofts was presented to the guest of honor as well as to other family members in attendance. A pot luck luncheon and cake was served. mmmmm ft t' ''P- A ov I ft i tfuJ Gagon, Egan Smith, Adams HURRICANE Robert J.

Gagon of American Fork and Fay Gagon of Lehi announce the forthcoming marriage their daughter, Angela, to William C. Egan of Hurricane. Angela and William will exchange vows May 7 at the Jordan Queen in Salt Lake City. A reception will be held 1 that evening from 8 to 10 at the Jordan Queen. The bride-to-be graduated from American Fork High School and Utah Technical College.

The prospective groom graduated from Hurricane High School and attended Dixie College and Utah State University. The couple plan to make their home in American Fork. Sanders 75th birthday LAVERKIN The children of Norma Stout Sanders request the pleasure of.your company at an open house in honor of her 75th birthday on Saturday, May 2. 1987 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the La Verkin First Ward.

Sanders' children include three daughters: Carolyn (Don) Kleinman of Lehi; Judy (Tom) Bower of San Jose, the late La Ree S. (Paul) Radmall: and two sons, Dexter of Fairfield, and Stephen oElko, Nev. Norma served a mission in the Colorado, Denver area from October 1979 to April 1981. She has worked at the St George Temple for the past three years. ST.

GEORGE Leon and Ora Smith of St. George announce the forthcoming marriage of their daughter. Tammy, to Ray Adams, son of Stanley and Lois Adams of Enterprise. Tammy and Ray will exchange vows May 2 at Winchester Hills, St. George.

A reception will be held in their honor that evening from 7:30 to 9:30 at Winchester Hills. The bride-Uhbe is a graduate of Dixie High School. She is employed at K-Mart. The prospective groom is a graduate of Enterprise High School and attended Utah Technical College. He is employed at Hecla Mining.

Tne couple plan to make their home in St. George. I..