The Michigan Daily-Friday, luly 21, 1978-Page 13
Anti-smoke forces more confident

By ALICE GAILEY
It happens everywhere - on planes
and buses, in theatres and restaurants
and especially at parties. According to
the federal government, one out of
every three Americans over 21 is
regularly smoking cigarettes, cigars,
pipes, or something else in between, but
the other two, the non-smokers, are not
too happy about it.
A growing anti-smoking campaign in
this country is starting to establish bet-
ter protection for the rights of non-
smokers as well as help for puffers and
information programs to discourage
potential smokers.
THE CAMPAIGN is past the "dirty
look" stage and non-smokers are
making it increasingly difficult for
smokers to light up in public places by
speaking up when they feel put out by
cigarette fumes. The movement has
gone beyond everyday situations,
though, with health care and recent
legislation that have institutionalized
the fight against smoking.
The University's policy is weak com-
pared with the absolute smoking ban at
15 other colleges. In some University
buildings, including the libraries,
smoking in confined to specific areas.
The Undergraduate Library (UGLI),
for example, has a smoking floor on the
basement level, forcing smokers to
concentrate themselves in that area.
SOME SMOKERS said they feel put
out by the segragation. One non-smoker
in the UGLI said she liked the quiet and
the low ceilings on the basement, but
sat on the "noisy second floor to escape
the smoke."
Another smoker in the UGLI said, "I
think there should be an equal number
of smoking and non-smoking floors."
Others, however expressed the
feeling that a smoking floor is the best
solution. "I don't mind being set
apart," said another smoker, "At least
I don't feel guilty about smoking down
there."
"I think it's a pretty fair set-up," said
another smoker, "as long as you give
people a choice."
THE GRADUATE LIBRARY limits
smoking to the third floor lounge only.
One student who was enjoying a
cigarette in the Lounge confessed, "I
think the Grad is too nice a building to
allow smoking. Plus, it'S probably not
too good for the books."
Most dorm cafetrias have also set
aside smoking areas. Where it is not
banned, smoking in classrooms is
generally discouraged by most instruc-
tors and students. And the University
Hospital has removed all cigarette
vending machines.
Russ Downing, the University fire
narshall, said that the University's
policy has been left up to each in-
dividual department. While he may
help by supplying signs, once a depar-
tment has set aside smoking sections,
enforcement is also left up to the depar-
tment.
DOWNING'S RESPONSIBILITY in-
cludes enforcement of non-smoking
restrictions only in' areas in which
seriousdanger exists - around flam-
Inable liquids, for example.
Asked whether the University would
adopt a ban of all smoking in its
buildings, Downing, an ex-smoker him-
self, didn't think it was very probable.
He added that he feels that it is impor-
tant to give people the option.
The University's administration,

Fleming released a memorandum to all
deans, directors, and department heads
asking supervisors to "discourage
smoking in working areas." Prompted
by "an increasing number of letters
and petitions from staff members who
do not smoke," Fleming also asked that
staff members "explore possibilities of

THE FEDERAL government bans
smoking in buses, planes and trains except
in specified areas. In addition, the
Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) is con-
sidering a ban which would outlaw all
smoking on airplanes. A final CAB
decision is expected next year.
It comes as no surprise that Joseph
Califano, the Health Education and
Welfare (HEW) secretary who has
proposed a $30 million anti-smoking
campaign for next year, has gone on
record in support of a complete ban on
airlane smoke. While he said he doesn't
object to the "freedom to smoke,"
Califano said he feels the money should
be put "into education to combat the
tobacco industry's image of the
Marlboro man and the glamorous
woman."
Califano has also said he would try to
hike the tax on cigarettes, encourage
insurance companies to offer premium
discounts to non-smokers and press
schools into creating, anti-smoking
curricula. Califano's plan relies
primarily on voluntary action and only
slightly on compulsory compliance.
EDUCATION IS also the cornerstone
of many anti-smoking organizations on
national, state and local levels. Action
on Smoking and Health (ASH) is a 10-
year-old Washington-based group
fighting for increased smoking bans. In
Ann Arbor, the YMCA and the Univer-
sity Health Service co-sponsor a
smoking workshop for those who want
to kick the habit.
The American Lung Association, as
well as various state lung groups, has
sponsored a sustained health education
campaign which includes television and
radio anti-smoking messages.
Kenneth Warner of the Department
of Health Planning and Administration
in the University's School of Public
Health and a member of the Michigan
Lung Association's Smoking and Health

Committee, said one study found that
the ads against smoking have con-
tributed to significant reductions in
cigarette use.
A RECENT federal study reported in
the New England Journal of Medicine
provides a new piece of ammunition for
cigarette foes who want to ban, or at
least segregate, smoking in all public
areas. The study stated that sitting
near cigarette smoke makes those with
bad hearts more susceptible to the
sometimes crippling chest pains called
angina.
Dr. Wilbur Aronow, who directed the
study, explained that the carbon
monoxide in cigarette smoke cuts down
on the amount of oxygen in the blood.
But at the same time, he said, the
nicotine in the smoke increases the
hearts demand for oxygen molecules.
This reaction is aggravated in angina
patients since the vessels of their hearts
can supply less oxygen than normal.
Angina is usually triggered by physical
activity and, said Aronow, "passive
smoking" - that is having to inhale the
fumes from a nearby smoker -
reduces the victim's exercise toleran-
ce.
OPPOSING T HE anti-smoking
movement are smokers who feel they
ought to be able to light up where they
want to and non-smokers can just avoid
them if need be. Smokers United is a
new group based in New York whose
director, James Stewart, said in an in-
terview recently that anti-smoking
laws are "simply unconstitutional."
Yet most smokers are willing to com-
ply with regulations and respect non-
smokers' demands for clean air. Some
non-smokers see their campaign and
the new legislation as a form of con-
sciousness-raising. They say that if
smokers realize just how obnoxious
their habit is to others, holding off on
the cigarette for a while in public will
become a matter of common courtesy.
They seem to be getting their message
across.

setting aside areas where those who
smoke can be isolated from others."
BUT FLEMING was careful to add
that smoking is an individual decision.
Until there is a demand for a total ban
in public areas, there seems to be little
chance that the University will adopt
one. Not only is there no strong lobbying
group making noise, but such a ban is
likely to be criticized as
discriminatory. At any rate, the volun-
tary method seems to be working fairly
well to protect the rights of non-
smokers on campus.
State and federal laws are becoming
more strict and only eight states
remain without bans on smoking in
public places, anti-smoking forces
report.
Michigan - along with Alaska,
Arkanses, California, Minnesota, North
Dakota and Utah - requires non-
smoking sections in restaurants.
SINCE THE state law took effect
April Fool's Day of last year,
restaurants with a seating capacity of
50 or more must post a'sign at the en-
trance of the dining area announcing
the availability of a non-smoking area.
Ann Arbor restaurant managers
generally agree that there haven't been
any major problems enforcing the
regulation. "Customers seem to ap-
preciate the choice," said one
manager.
Non-smoking areas vary in size from
one to two tables to about a quarter of
the restaurant space. The size of the
space is typically determined by patron
demand.
SHARK
TEETH
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P.O. Box 562
Wayne, Michigan

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