Tobacco Documents Online

I I I i I I I I F 25291 Wykeshire Road Farmington, Hills 48013 August 8, 1980 Mr. Sunny Sun Nai Fong Michigan Department of Public Health Office of Health Education 3500 N. Logan Street Box 30035 Lansing, Michigan 48909 Dear Mr. Fong: I am submitting the following statement which I hope you will share with the Citizens' Panel on Smoking and Health which was appointed by Governor Milliken for the purpose of soliciting recommendations on how to reduce tobacco related disabilities. I am a high school principal with some 15 years in this position in the school districts of Detroit and Livonia. I am a member of the Board of Directors of the Wayne County Chapter of the American Cancer Society and I served for many years as a member of the Wayne County Council on Smoking and Health. I strongly urge the members of the committee to support the recommendations made in Senate Bill #388 as originally introduced by Senator Robert Geake. This bill would have banned smoking in all public schools and on public school property by all persons - board of education members, parents, superintendents, principals, teachers, support staff and students. Both the office of the United States Department of Health, Education and Welfare as well as the Surgeon General of the United States have recognized that preventive education is the most valuable way to protect our young from the pernicious effects of smoking and the seductive and beguiling influence of tobacco advertising. As long as smoking is permitted in the school setting, any preventive education program regarding the adverse effect of smoking will be largely unsuccessful and well meaning efforts to teach the full meaning of the warning which is written on every package of cigarettes will be undermined. When we permit smoking by anyone in the school setting, we mortgage our credibility because we are telling children "Do as I say and not as I do". Navy Surgeon General Willard P. Arentzen has stated what is perhaps the most cogent reason to justify such legislation. "We must not only recognize that tobacco smoking is harmful, but must behave in a manner consistent with the knowledge that smoking is a health hazard." Senate Bill #388, as oriainally introduced, would make it easier for school personnel to enforce smoking prohibitions in the school setting where peer influence is so comoelling. The message to students is that "No one smokes here - neither principal, secreta ry, custodian, parent nor student." -132- 1 ~

I Those adults who elect to work in the school setting with children have a unique obligation to set a personal example by not smoking on school premises. Legis-. lation which prohibits smoking in schools is no more a denial of civil liberties or work rights than comparable existing legislation which prohibits the drinking of alcohol on school property or which bans smoking in supermarkets. Neither is it an attack upon free choice or the free enterprise system. It is, instead,an effort to save lives and to counter in our schools the influence of cigarette promotion which portrays smoking as a glamorous activity. I understand that Senate Bill #388 was amended to allow approved smoking areas for staff because of the intervention of the Michigan Education Association. it is regretm ble that the media failed to appropriately publicize this action which in effect emasculated the intent of the bill. The public has a right to know when legislation to protect the health of children is compromised by a special interest lobby. I am bothered also by the absence of concern on the part of local, state and national leadership of PTA with regard to the influence of smoking on the health of children. I was heartened by their commendable concern about excessive vio- lence on TV and its effect upon children. The violence to children who fall victim to the seductive advertising of the tobacco industry, however, is an even more ominous threat to the safety of'children and is equally deserving of protest and calls for corrective action by the PTA. Without an overall cortmitment to prohibit all smoking in the school setting, the preventive education efforts of school programs to teach about the dangers of smoking will be compromised. Research tells us that young people are more afraid of being rejected by their friends than of losing years of their lives. Approved smoking areas for students stimulate peer pressure to smoke and foster the sale and use of Illegal drugs. Staff members who smoke in the school setting separate themselves from the problem and their absence of commitment mocks the integrity of the school's health education Instruction. This anomaly Is perceived by even. little children. The State of Arizona has already acted with courageous responsibility on behalf of the safety of its children by banning smoking on public school property. Can we do less for our own children? Approved smoking areas for staff and students, like the ever present ash tray, give license to the practice and conceal the i ns id i ous dangers 4rh i ch attend. Very truly yours, ~. _ _ . Albert Zack AZ/mb cc: Senator Robert Geake I I I I I E I L L -133-

I I P I I I L L L Adolescence is a time when individuals first begin to make decisions that have lifelong consequences. One of these decisions for many young people is whether or not to smoke cigarettes. Those of us who are deeply concerned and involved with youths need to be aware that we can have an impact on that decision--through the programs we provide, the policies we institute and the interpersonal relationships we cultivate with young people. Preventing adolescents from smoking before they begin involves a more comprehensive effort than the traditional "scare tactic" approach. Adolescence is a time for trying on new behaviors and taking new risks. "Scare tactics" may serve to challenge and tempt the very young people we aim to convince. Richard I. Evens of the University of Houston talked about the inaopropriateness of traditional approaches for young people: "Anti-smoking messages focus too much on the futu:-e dangers. Children are more likely to focus on the present."1 Evens, citing two other studies aimed at finding out what works and what doesn't work in anti- sinokino campaigns, concluded that no-smoking messages were more effective when they included students themselves showing how to say no to peer pressures to smoke than when they employed the use of authority figure adults presenting high fear arousal messages. Smoking prevention can be appropriately placed within the larger realm of substance abuse prevention. This view define$ a substance as any chemical th3t brings about physical, emotional or mental changes in a Statement sucmit'r.ed by Judy Ann Got':-CtaL-_ns, 4-H Ycuth Prograr,ts, August, 1980. -134-

I A person. Abuse is the use of a chemical substance in such a way that it causes physical, mental or social harm to a person or to people close to him or her. Thus, smoking tobacco can be seen as substance abuse. The current prevention approaches to substance abuse which emphasize the development of life skills are appropriate as ap approach to smoking prevention, as well as being consistent with the goals and philosophy of the %iichigan 4-H - Youth Programs. The major goal of the Michigan 4-H - Youth Programs is to help young people become self-directing, productive, and contributing members of society. In order to achieve this goal, 4-H strives to assist both youths and volunteers in the acquisition of the following life skills: - learning how to learn, F f I I I I I I - relating to change, - using knowledge, and - developing self.2 The Michigan 4-H - Youth Programs'believes that a basic need of all human beings is to develop and enjoy caring relationships with others. There is a commitment to helping these relationships evolve into quality human interactions. This is accomplished by making it possible for volunteers to interact with youths on a continuing basis in a group setting. Primary prevention strategies are largely psycho-social, people- oriented approaches concerned with reducing the demand for the substance, in this case tobacco. The goals are to nurture and help a person grow and mature without reliance on chemical substancps. ] I I E ~ L ~ L .~

i I I I i I I I L L L L The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has developed a matrix for prevention that encompasses ~our catecories of activities: information, education, alternatives and early interrention. According to Lura Street Jackson, program advisor at the NIDA, a good comprehensive program includes all four types of activities.3 An elaboration of this matrix and an investigation of the current ?iichigan 4-H projects and programs serve to emphasize the consistency between the 4-H philosophy and the primary prevention model. Information--The first component described involves providing accurate and honest information. Information should be seen as an important adjunct to a good prevention program, but that information should not stand alone. Research studies have shown that factual data, widely used as the sole prevention tool in earlier years, frequently generated more curiosity in young people than wisdom."4 Yet, information appropriately targeted at specific audiences can be an important tool in smoking prevention. The dissemination of information is a basic component of 4-H in its linkage to the land-grant universities. 4-H continues to serve as an important means for extending the findings of the land-grant institution to the people, whether the research deals with improving interpersonal communication skills or the latest findings about smoking and health. The linkage with subject-matter expertise at the land-grant universities ensures that the 4-H agents and the people with whom they work will be kept up to date on the latest research. The university extends information into the home in the form of home visits, bulletins and radio or television programs.s _136-

I Two current Michigan 4-H orojects are concerned d?:ectly with providing health information to 4-H members and to the public in general. Through Health Fairs and Health Awareness Teams, II-H members become personally involved in a variety of health topics, including smoking. Education--Education is seen by preventors today as a process that helps individuals develop the skills they need to help themselves. This education includes not only the development of the intellect, but attention to emotional development and opportunities for growth. The activities may include development of decision-making skills, values awareness, problem-solving, development of communication and inte:-personal skills, and career education and the development of knoKledge, skills and attitudes useful in the work place. An ii-inportant part of this component is the training of teachers and leaders in these skills. Through this system of trained volunteer leaders and small group settings, 4-H has many programs focused on just this aspect of education. For example, High On Myself is a program of self-inquiry and intergroup sharing and includes exercises in communication skills, values clarification, problem-solving skills, decision-making skills and stress reduction. Other examples include the Peer-Plus, Group Dynamite, Stress Connection and Starship Self programs. Informal evaluations have shown that 4-H is effective in improving difficult to measure hunan resource attributes of self-esteem, confidence and the ability to cope with stress.6 I I I I I I I I t L L -137-

I I I I I I Alternatives--The strategy of this component is to provide experiences where young people can develop the positive skills and feelings t'.:ey need to become mature people. These programs should furnish ooportsnities that provide adventure, involvement, open and direct communications with others, creativity, or the sense of accomplishment and personal potency that comes from being able to control or change one's environment. Michigan 4-H - Youth Programs is a perfect example of a community program that can provide these kinds of challenges. 4-H provides opportunities for youths to experience success. Khether through completing a tie-dye project in African Cultural Heritage, growing vegetables, nego- tiating a bicycle safety course, or chairing a meeting, 4-H can help counteract the feelings of hopelessness and disappointment often prevalent among some of today's youths. Early Intervention--Early intervention involves giving support to young people during the crises of growing up. Adolescence is the time for growing up, and the target audience for 4-H is youths aged 9 to 18. Reaching out toward special groups, including multicultural groups, ethnic minorities, handicapper youths and rural and urban groups, 4-H recognizes the diversity of the youth population and the multitude of crises that growing up can present. The National Institute of Drug Abuse has found that the most significant aspect of any program attempting to prevent substance abuse is that the program involve both.youths and adults, with adults doing things with kids, not for or to them.

I Thus it see:is that the Michigrn -':outh Programs u;.d the primary prevention model of smoking prevention share a common outlook toward youths. In particular, 4-H and the ;lIDA•support the following objectives: - Improving decision-making skills - Improving co,:,.munication and interrersonal relationships - Improving health habits and health education - Providing appropriate role models for youths - Encouraging the young to respect themselves - Releasing the imagination, curiosity, creativity, and compassion that are natural expressions of young people Identifying the resources of our cocrnunities--knowledge, skills, generations, heritages, and cultures--to create a strong and cohesive environnent.I Young people who have developed effective communication and decision- making skills are those who will be most likely to seek out information and use that information to make wise decisions regarding smoking and health. Giving young people the kinds of attention and experiences can help them to grow up will have positive lifelong consequences. that I I I I I J I I L L L L -139-

I I I I I I I I 1Richard I. Evens, "Tobacco," D rsg Uodate. Vol. 1, No. 2, September 1973. 2From the Michigan 4-H - Youth Programs Mission Statement. 'Lura Street Jackson, "Some Promising Strategies and Models in Prevention Programming," a paper presented at the Seventh International Congress on the Prevention and Treatment of Drug Dependence, Lisbon, Portugal, October 18, 1977. 4Ibid. SAbigail Sanborn, "4-H: A SVise Investment of Our Tax Dollars," %,tichigan 4-H - Youth Programs, 1979. 6Ibid. 7Drug Abuse Prevention, National Institue on Drug Abuse, 1973, DHEW Publication `o. (ADM) 78-586. -140-