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Show L - i s !nur 4 IF Tfe JJ J ITWCOUP IN ' I f MIL KtOffES TAU Stop the t . & w hmmm, WM SMUCfft AU. 8UIP)S mmmn zr,P TomvmtH killing, vote Yes on HB50 No doubt some smokers will disagree with HB50, the law which passed the House Tuesday and is expected to pass the Senate. The bill will all but snuff out smoking in every public build- WJME TA1S ing in the state. Its about time! This is not a religious issue. This is a health issue. Many have tried to equate the push to rid Utah of smoking with the moral majority. But the facts are that smoking and second-han- d smoke is killing Utahns. Smokers are not being judged as sinners, they are being asked to commit their slow suicide without taking others out with them. And it is a slow suicide. All smokers will have their lives cut TO THE short, the quality of their lives destroyed and their families holding all night, bedside vigils as they watch their loved one slowly suffocate and die. Thats the reality of this habit being touted by tobacco companies as harmless and pleasurable. There was a time when those who chose to smoke could do so and the public could ignore their habit as a mild irritant. No longer. Now science has proven secondhand smoke is just as dangerous as smoking. Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) is more than an irritant, it causes cancer. There is no safe level of exposure to ETS which is comparable to deadly substances such as benzene, asbestos and radon. Millions have been spent in Utah to rid schools of asbestos, yet we continue to give a mixed message to Limitless love is timeless prescription for troubled youth Tired of hearing about drugs, gangs and troubled American teenagers? Let me give you some good news. Let me tell you about Greg. I first met Greg about eight years ago, when I was assigned to olds at teach a class of church. It was a wonderful experience because, for the most part, the children were adorable. Theyd lis- ar ValueSpeak by Joseph Walker ten to my stories, laugh at my jokes and at least pretend that they enjoyed being with me. And then there was Greg. Dont get me he was a good kid, and I wrong liked him. But he was...well, a little out of control. He was disruptive in class. Hed say hurtful things to the girls in the class, and then just smile at me when I told him that was unacceptable. And he was the first kid I ever saw who would get so worked up that he would literally start bouncing off the walls. Hed stand in one corner of the tiny classroom in which we met, dash across the room and hurtle himself at the wall. Then hed do the same thing going back the other direction, laughing a kind of frenzied little laugh every step of the way until I was finally able to make him stop. As you might expect, this could be somewhat disconcerting to the rest of us in the class. But I never sensed any malice in Greg. He was a sweet boy with a good heart who just did weird stuff. And while I occasionally had to get after Greg, we eventually worked out a way of getting along with each other, and we grew' to be good friends. As I became more familiar with Greg and his family I found out that he had a learning disability that made it difficult for him to concentrate. As a result, he had an even academiharder time at school and he had at than socially cally church. The other kids hassled him, and some teachers had a hard time understanding him. Greg was a handful, and they just didnt have time to give him the special attention he obviously needed. Thankfully, Gregs parents did. With fierce love and concentrated determination, they helped their son leam how to succeed in all aspects of his life. Friends and neighbors were enlisted to tutor Greg in school subjects that puzzled him. Sports became a way of harnessing Gregs boundless energy while teaching him important lessons about hard work, discipline, obedience and teamwork. Boy Scouting reinforced those lessons while exposing him to new experiences, opportunities and adventures. Gregs parents volunteered to help at school, in sports leagues and as Scout leaders to make sure their son received the training and supervision he needed to learn how to be successful. And if theres one word that describes Greg today, that would be the one: successful. He has earned the prestigious rank of Eagle Scout. He was a member of one of the states best high school football teams. And I just found out that last term he earned a perfect 4.0 grade point average at school. He sings in the church choir, participates enthusiastically in every activity or service project that comes along and is a pleasant, happy neighbor and friend. Not too long ago I was asked to substitute teach in one of Gregs classes at church. Throughout the class period he was a model of behavior and decorum: calm and thoughtful in his comments and questions, profound- Published indeed of us. for Greg, and for the rest semi-weekl- y John Stahle, Sr. publisher 1892-195- 4 for the Legislature to stop the deaths of innocent Utahns. The effects of HB50 will not be felt immediately after it becomes law in January 1995. but they will be evident in the future. It is criminal to continue to allow exposure to ETS in public places. This is especially true given the fact that 40 percent of the states population is comprised of children. We debate the harmful effects of television violence on children; we debate the harmful effects of sex education; we debate the harmful effects of pornography, but the debate on smoking and ETS is over. They are killing our children. For responsible legislators there is only one vote on HB50. by Clipper Publishing Co., Inc. John Stahle, M. publisher 1954-198- 9 Stahle publisher Judy Jensen managing editor 1370 South 500 West, Bountiful, Utah 84010 R. Gail ISSN 1061-122- 3 on published of Christmas and New Years at Bountiful, week the and except Friday Tuesday all correspondence Utah Second class postage paid at Bountiful, Utah. Address Subscription rate: 50C per copy. to P.O. Box 267, Bountiful, Utah $20.00 per year, Mailed: $30.00 per year. Publication No. (USPS semi-weekl- y 149-18- 84011-026- News Advertising Circulation Classified ly kind to me and to his classmates. And believe it or not, he didnt bounce of any walls. Not even once. Today Greg is a exemplary young man. But more than that, his examstory is an eloquent real-lif- e ple of how troubled young people can be reclaimed by loving, devoted parents and supportive neighbors, friends, coaches and leaders. What Gregs parents did for their son may not work for every child. But it certainly worked for Greg. And thats very good news, Its time our youth about the harmful effects of smoking. If its so bad, why do we tolerate it? The number of deaths related to exposure to asbestos is insignificant compared to the number of deaths related to smoking. The illnesses caused by ETS cost the Utah health systems between $7.2 and $10 million annually. The Coalition for a Tobacco-Fre- e Utah has reported that the state spends $116 million each year for medical costs linked to active smoking. And 82 percent of the population does not smoke! That means there are fewer than 400.000 smokers using over $125 million of Utah funds each year. We could make all smokers millionaires and still have a surplus if they stopped. FAX 295-225- 1 292-205- 8 295-304- Office Hours 8 30-- 30 Mon 4 thru Fri DEADLINES TUESDAY PAPER Classified Ads.... Display Advertising If Proof Required and Color Articles & Photos News Obituaries Public Notices MThnN6nm 24 Hours In Accepted Advance Until 1 1 an Mon. Friday 5Pm DEADLINES FRIDAY PAPER POSTMASTER Send change ol address to Davn Counly Cl.pper P O Box 267. Bountiful Utah 840! |