The Michigan Daily-Saturday, August 4, 1979-Page 9 Paraquat effects can be irreversible-gov't WASHINGTON (AP)-Smoking marijuana that is contaminated with the herbicide paraquat cancause serious, sometime irreversible lung damage when inhaled in sufficient quantities, the government said yesterday. In one of his final acts as secretary of health, educati9n, and welfare (HEW), Joseph Califano Jr. announced the results of a study by HEW agencies of the dangers associated with paraquat and marijuana. "There is a direct relationship between the amount of paraquat inhaled and the extent and severity of lung damage that results," Califano wrote Secretary, of State Cyrus Vance. "LUNG DAMAGE from intermittent or short-term exposlure may be reversible, but frequent, high-level exposure over a long period of time can result in a severe form of damage called fibrosis," Califano said. Paraquat has been used to spray marijuana grown in Mexico as part of a campaign to wipe out plants which might eventually be exported to the United States. Until last year, under supervision of the State Department's foreign aid program, the U.S. gover- nment paid for some of the herbicide. Last year, Congress voted to prohibit use of federal funds for paraquat spraying if it "is likely to cause serious harm to the health" of marijuana users, unless the marijuana is treated or marked to warn users it is contaminated. CALIFANO'S REPORT was issued two months af- ter he refused to relax controls on marijuana even for medical research. Marijuana and its components are considered the same as heroin and LSD under the government's stringent drug regulations and are not accepted for medical use. Califano said there is a great variance in American smokers' exposure to paraquat-contaminated marijuana. Less than one per cent of the samples confiscated by the Drug Enforcement Administration from the East Coast, Middle West, and Pacific Nor- thwest regions were contaminated. But more than 12 per cent of the samples from the Southwest contained paraquat, he said. HEW has estimated that between 15 and 100 marijuana smokers a year in the Southwest are ex- posed to enough paraquat-contaminated marijuana to suffer a toxic reaction in their lungs. Another 2,000 Southwesterners are exposed to enough paraquat to suffer less severe lung damage, he said. HEW's health analysis was provided by the Center for Disease Control and the National Institute of En- vironmental Health Services. Califano said the En- vironmental Protection Agency concurred in the study's conclusions. in aerospace awaits you at WA45 IAN-iFWA YIEz ""TP Our Denver Division has/many new op- portunities awaiting recent college graduates. Major facilities are located at Denver, CO; New Orleans, LA; Santa Maria, CA. Currently there are 365 con- tracts that involve work in such exciting areas as Space Launch Systems, De- fense Systems, Command and Informa- tion Systems, Payload Integration, Space Satellites, Solar Systems, Space Shuttle and the new generation Missile System. Opportunities Now Within these areas are many entry- level growth positions that offer prac- tical experience in the advanced state of the engineering art. Such fields as p Software Test Propulsion ' Ther- mophysics * Structures - Mechanisms " Dynamics , Stress " Materials * Mis- sion Analysis +Product Development " Industrial Engineering a Logistics * In- tegration - Systems " Guidance & Con- trol " RF Systems " Communications. Data Handling " Power Systems " Payloads & Sensors Quality Safety and Manufacturing. Careers Begin Here If you're considering a career in aero- space, you won't find the challenge greater nor the work more rewarding than at Martin Marietta. In addition to job opportunity the com- pany's comprehensive program of em- ployee benefits has a financial value equivalent to approximately forty percent of the employee's income. Included are; Company-paid insurance, performance sharing plan, retirement plan, vacation, education reimbursement and long term disability plan. interested graduates please contact Martin Marietta Aerospace. Attn: College Relations, P.O. Box179 (#D6310) Denver, CO 80201. Martin Marietta is an Affirmative Action Employer atively seeking the Handicap- ped and Veterans. National Security regu- lations require United States Citizenship. .