Block · one region of the page, as the scanner read it. It may hold a whole story, part of one, several, or an advertisement; stitching blocks into articles is the next step. Text is supplied OCR.
Page 4 · column 4 of 6 · from the scan, no model involved
If this report settles any question, it is that of a smoker’s “personal” right to smoke cigarettes anywhere, anytime. Smokers have never really had the right to contaminate the air, but now they have an obligation to keep the air clean, just like everybody else.
Smokers may know that they are endangering their health, but the question now is do non-smokers know what they are doing to themselves by inhaling secondhand cigarette smoke?
For those in the health care industry, this year’s report presents a new challenge. We have to continue to urge smokers to quit smoking, but now we have to educate non-smokers and former smokers to stay away from cigarette smoke.
The health hazards of smoking have been identified in warnings on cigarette packages for many years. The same warnings have appeared on cigarette advertisements. Today the warnings are quite specific, listing several’ major diseases associated with smoking.
Non-smokers, however, don’t pay attention to those warnings. They should. Perhaps we need a new set of Surgeon General’s warnings for the non-smoker. I’d like to suggest a few:
WARNING: NON-SMOKING WOMEN MARRIED TO SMOKERS HAVE AN INCREASED RISK OF HEART DISEASE.
WARNING: EXPOSING YOUR CHILDREN TO CIGARETTE SMOKE CAN INCREASE THEIR RISK OF DEVELOPING RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS.
WARNING: SECONDHAND CIGARETTE SMOKE CONTAINS TARS AND OTHER CANCER CAUSING SUBSTANCES.
A. LARRY MILLER, MD
Vice-president
American Lung Association
of Northern Virginia
93.1%