1. health and fitness

WAYS TO REAL FITNESS
Interview with
Senator William Proxmire
of Wisconsin
Bonnie L. Floyd
WE HAD both come to Hollywood that spring of '61, two
young girls so alike—starry-eyed, ambitious, full of dreams. We
met on a movie lot, both of us having walk-on parts. Despite
our competitiveness we became close friends. Her name was
LaTrisha, a name that blended perfectly with the air of elegance, beauty, and pride that surrounded her. But despite her
physical attributes she had an openness, a friendliness, about
her that was magnetic.
It was she who started the conversation that first day. We
had been sitting for what seemed an eternity waiting our call
to the set. She smiled and then asked softly, "Your first part
too?"
"No," I replied, glancing up from the magazine I was
reading, trying to sound professional and experienced.
"Oh," she continued, "then you know all about this. I guess
you're not nervous."
2 / LISTEN, July, 1974
"Nothing to be nervous about, for movie people are just
like everybody else," I said, pleased with the reassuring sound
of my voice.
"You're lucky to feel like that," she said, a little shakily.
"To tell you the truth, I'm as nervous as a cat."
At that I smiled, noticing the brightness of her eyes. "How
long have you been in town?"
Her eyes widened. "How did you know I'm new in Hollywood?" She hesitated, glancing around to see if anyone else
had heard, then whispered, "Does it still show, you know, the
way I dress and everything?'
"Well, not really, but that accent is definitely not Californian," I replied. "Where're you from, the South?"
"No, silly!" She giggled. "Don't you know a Texan when
you see one? Anyway, I've been here a whole month already
and I thought I'd lost the accent." She paused and then asked
excitedly, "Say, do you know any entertainers personally?"
"Oh, sure, a few," I said offhandedly. "I grew up in the
)usiness; my dad was a musician." At that moment I could
ee no reason to go into lengthy details, such as the fact that
ny dad had been a country-western entertainer in the Midvest and that the few entertainers I did know were definitely
lot Hollywood superstars.
"No kidding?" she gasped. "I should have been so lucky."
;he lowered her voice to almost a whisper. "Would you beieve, I'm a preacher's kid?"
"You don't say," I replied, amused by her wide-eyed ex)ression.
"Cross my heart." She grinned and then lowered her head.
'Boy, my dad was none too pleased when I dropped college
find came here." She glanced up, looking directly into my
'yes. "You know something? This is the first time I've ever
)een in a city. Living in one room does get lonely sometimes,
ioesn't it?" Then she added quickly, "But I guess you wouldn't
mow about that."
A wave of sympathy swept over me as I gazed into her
luge brown eyes. I knew all too well what she was going
:hrough. I smiled. "Don't you believe it; I have my moments
:coo. I think everyone does at times."
"Well, maybe." She shook her head doubtfully. "But I—"
;he began but was promptly interrupted by our call to the
pound stage.
We walked down the long corridor in silence. As we approached the door, I stopped and said quickly, "What say, we
grab a quick supper in the studio commissary when we're
inished and then go bowling or something? And, by the way,
-ny name is Anita, Anita Brady."
A glow came to her face. "It's sure nice to meet you, Anita
Brady, and your idea sounds terrific. Oh, yes, I'm LaTrisha
Reynolds, but you can call me Tish. Anyhow," she said with
a giggle, "LaTrisha is my stage name."
We laughed as we walked through the gigantic double
loors and into the noisy, brightly lighted stage.
Our friendship developed quickly, and within the month
we were sharing a garden apartment on a tree-lined street in
:he heart of Hollywood. We had rented the apartment on
impulse, which accounted for the fact that it was far too
elaborate and expensive for our salaries. But young dreams
nave a way of ignoring the reality of finances.
It was May when we were finally settled in. The winter
rains had stopped, the air was clear, and the city lay against
a backdrop of emerald green. Flowers burst forth, greeting
one at every turn, making it easy to forget the noisy congestion
surrounding us.
Hollywood was different then. The movie and television
industry were working at top production, making jobs much
more abundant for young hopefuls. Don't get me wrong, jobs
were still not easy to come by. Being one of the less ambitious
ones, I soon settled into a more secure job as studio secretary. It was here that I met Gary, a rising young executive,
who later became my husband.
The statistics did not frighten Tish though, and she plunged
into an acting career with all the drive and stamina her 5 feet
4 inches, 110-pound frame could muster. Her determination
paid off, and the jobs came. It was slow at first, but by the
end of fall she had secured a studio contract and was placed
in their acting school.
The contract had come just five days after her twentieth
birthday. It had been a hot, smoggy, November day, quite
unnerving for a Midwesterner like me who was used to cold,
snowy winters.
The coolness of the air-conditioned room welcomed me as
I closed the door, dropping into the nearest chair. Slipping off
my shoes and resting my head against the vinyl upholstery, I
aimlessly thumbed through the day's mail. Within minutes
Tish burst through the door, bubbling with excitement, followed close behind by Jim, her current boyfriend.
"Anita, it's finally happened," she shouted, waving a piece
of paper under my nose. I sat up startled, glancing at the
paper.
"What's this?" I asked, scanning the page with all its legal
gibberish.
"It's what I've been working for, waiting for; it's a studio
contract. Don't you see, I'm finally on my way."
"You wouldn't put me on, would you?" I asked, knowing
she wasn't kidding.
She grinned, shaking her head.
I jumped up and gave her a quick hug. "This is great,
really great." Now I was excited too. "Say, this calls for a
celebration," I continued.
"And I have just the thing," Jim broke in, pulling a bottle
from the sack he carried. "A little bubbly to fit the happy
occasion." Jim uncorked the champagne as Tish set the glasses
out.
"If it's all the same with you, Jim, I'll have just a soft drink,"
I said.
"Don't tell me you're on the wagon," he said, amused. "Now
you're putting me on."
"No, I'm not," I replied. "I've just never cared for alcohol
and its aftereffects."
"Well, well, I do believe we have a Puritan among us," he
said sarcastically, sipping his drink.
"Tish, do you want one of these too?" I asked, ignoring
Jim's remark.
"Not tonight, Anita. This calls for something extra special.
You're sure you won't join us?"
I looked up, surprised. To my knowledge Tish had never
taken a drink in her life. "No thanks, this will be just fine." I
settled back in my chair, as Tish and Jim talked excitedly
about their futures. Jim was in the same actors' workshop. They
continued to refill their glasses. Much to my relief, Jim left
within the hour. It wasn't that I disliked him, but his arrogant,
egotistical manner had turned me off from the beginning.
"I didn't know you liked champagne," I remarked casually
to Tish later.
"I don't really—" She laughed, brushing her long black
hair. "But Jim enjoys his drinks, so why be prudish about it?
A little alcohol never hurt anybody, anyway."
I sat down on the edge of my bed. "Don't be too sure about
that, Tish. You've never grown up with it like I have."
She sprawled across her bed and reached for the nail polish.
"Well, you're right about that," she grinned. "I never did
catch Daddy hiding a bottle in the pulpit."
LISTEN, July, 1974 / 3
"Oh, you know what I mean," I continued. "Your world
and mine were completely different when we were growing
up. I saw firsthand in the people I knew, even in some who
were very close to me, the heartaches and tragedies alcohol
can bring. I'll be willing to bet that the closest you ever came
to it was watching in amusement as the town drunk staggered
down the street."
Her face was serious now. "You're right about that too, but
don't be such a worrywart. I'm a big girl now, and I can certainly handle an occasional drink or two." She paused, her
face breaking into a smile. "I really have no immediate plans
to turn into a lush."
"OK, OK, sermon ended; but just remember, take it slow."
The following months passed quickly. My world consisted
of Gary and planning our June wedding. Tish was completely
dedicated to her slow, yet steadily rising career. Our friendship remained firm, and we were happy for each other. Our
dreams were becoming reality.
It was the last week in April, a Saturday night to be exact,
and Tish had talked me into going to one of her parties. She
had babbled excitedly about this one for a month; and, to be
truthful, I was excited and a little curious. Gary was out of
town, so this had to be better than an evening alone.
"Just wait until you see Mr. Nelson's apartment; it's really
something else, one of those huge third-floor terrace jobs," she
said enthusiastically, combing the last hair into place. "And
Mr. Nelson, he's a doll." She hesitated, giggling, "Well, as
much of a doll as a director can be. And Jim says there will
be champagne flowing from fountains."
"Well, just remember, I don't intend to carry a drunk home
tonight," I teased. "By the way, where's Jim?"
"Yes, big sister, I'll remember. And Jim, he's taking someone else tonight; but I don't mind, he can get awfully overbearing at times."
"Yes, I've noticed."
The party was in full swing when we arrived, and Tish
was right, the elegance of the apartment was overwhelming.
Chandeliers twinkled in every room, and champagne flowed
from tall, carved fountains. The hilltop setting gave a breathtaking view of the city as it lay below like a piece of black
velvet, dotted with colored jewels. We maneuvered our way
through the crowded room, talking with people we knew and
some we did not know. But parties like these were really not
my thing, so after while I found the chatter unbearable, the
ginger ale stale, the music much too loud, and the smoke-filled
room suffocating. I looked for Tish, in hopes she was ready
to leave, but she was nowhere to be found, so I slipped quietly
out to the terrace. The crisp night air rushed to greet me.
The huge glass doors slid open and out staggered Tish. "Hi
there, Anita, my friend, I hear you're looking for me."
I turned, seeing the flushed face, the glassy eyes. "Tish,
you're drunk," I said disgustedly. "Come on, let's go home,
you've had enough party for one night."
"I'm not drunk—just having fun," she slurred, "and we
can't go yet. The party's just begun, and I'm having a marvelous time, aren't you?" she asked, pulling away from me.
"Isn't it great to be young, to be on top of the world?" She
spread out her arms, whirling around the terrace unsteadily. In
a split second she had lost her balance and fallen against the
outside railing—and was toppling over!
"Tish! Tish! Look out!" I screamed, but it was too late.
My screams brought the party to a halt as people rushed
to the street below.
I pushed through the crowd, kneeling beside the crumpled
body. Her face had the look of death, but her pulse was still
faint and her breathing shallow. The crowd stood in hushed
silence. Someone handed me a coat to cover her and two men
started to lift her up.
"No," I shook my head, "don't move her until the ambulance gets here." At that moment the sirens split the air.
We raced through the darkness of night as I sat beside
the still body, holding her limp, cold hand. We arrived at
the hospital in record time.
The following week her life hung in the balance, as Gary
and I, with her parents, spent sleepless nights walking the
hospital corridors. Finally the doctor said with a relieved smile,
"She's on the road to recovery, but she's still a mighty sick
girl." He frowned sadly, "She'll be with us for quite a while—
she has a spinal injury." He paused, clearing his throat, then
saying, "Her legs will undoubtedly be paralyzed for life."
A choked cry escaped her mother's lips, as I stood in numbed
silence. Finally her father spoke, "Does she know?"
"Yes, and she took it well," the doctor replied.
I waited until her parents had visited, then slowly I pushed
open the door, forcing a smile to my face. "Hi, how're you
feeling?" I asked cheerfully. "You're looking great."
"Oh, sure I do," she replied, smiling faintly and running a
hand through her tousled hair. "My hair hasn't been washed
for weeks, I have no make-up on, my face is a mass of bruises,
and you're telling me I look good enough to run for Miss
America."
"Well, at least you look a hundred percent better than
when I brought you in here," I said, feeling a little uncomfortable.
"I told you that would be one great party, didn't I," she
said, biting her lip. "And I really gave a great performance."
Her voice cracked.
"Now get some rest, youll be well again, and this will all
be behind you," I said softly, touching her shoulder.
"Behind me, how can this ever be behind me?" She sobbed
bitterly. "Just look at me—I'm a cripple and not even twentyone. Just how many studios need a crippled actress!" She
wiped her eyes. "I threw it all away, all by myself."
"Oh, Tish, don't blame yourself so. It could have happened
to anyone," I said firmly, trying to reassure her.
"No, you're wrong this time, Anita, not just anyone." She
paused, staring blankly out the window, then continued softly.
"Remember last spring when we first moved in together, all
those midnight rap sessions, how we talked. All the plans, the
schemes, the hopes." She lowered her voice, causing it to sound
like a small child's. "And the miracle was, they were all coming true. I could have had it all, if only—" Her voice trailed
off as the tears came again.
I reached over, squeezing her hand.
What does one say at the end of a dream?
00
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Second-class postage paid at Mountain View, California. Subscription price $6.00 a year. July, 1974.
JA\ET REEVES
/Ass American
Teen-Ager
good date is "just being with someone
"BE yourself, not a phony."
Speaking is Janet Reeves, this year's who is friendly and has a good personalMiss American Teen-Ager, talking about ity. Going out with someone who has no
her suggestions to teens today. "As you life in him isn't my idea of having a good
get older, you realize it doesn't matter so time."
She .puts her own restrictions on her
much if you don't do what everybody else
dates too—one of these being the matter
is doing."
Seventeen-year-old Janet of Columbus, of smoking. "I won't date a boy twice if
Georgia, won her title in the fourteenth I learn he smokes," she says. Neither does
annual Miss American Teen-Ager Pag- she like to see a girl smoke. "It detracts
eant in New York City. "I couldn't believe from her beauty and intelligence."
Janet calls smoking "a kind of private
it," she says.
"My family life is pretty much the pollution." It "makes your body a mess.
same, but a bit more hectic," she observes. When I look around at all the smokers, I
"I try not to do things that would make wonder if they realize how they are hurtone of my sisters say, 'You think you are ing their one-and-only bodies."
something just because you are Miss
Miss American Teen-Ager says she has
American Teen-Ager.' "
seen her friends try to learn to smoke. "It's
Some people may think that winners a habit that's not easy to learn, and it cerof these "Miss" titles are naturally effer- tainly doesn't look like fun."
vescent and bubbling. It's not always that
Would she ever take up the habit herway, says Janet. "Sometimes I wonder self? "It's hard to say No when your
what people think of me—if I'm snob- friends smoke. I know that only too well.
bish or if I feel that I'm better than oth- But it's not impossible. I choose not to
ers. That's why I try to be more friendly smoke and am not embarrassed or afraid
to everybody. It's not always easy, since to say so."
I'm not an extrovert."
Janet's ambition is high—to become a
But Janet has her fun. Her idea of a pediatrician, wife, and mother. Each of
these is a career in itself, she says.
In the meantime, she is convinced that
Runners-up Lucy Demkiw of New York the most important thing in life is "being
and Katherine Kassing of Virginia conhappy with what you are doing." And it
gratulate Miss American Teen-Ager
seems
that Janet has put this into pracJanet Reeves as she wins her award.
tice in her studies—she has just graduated from Hardaway High School in Columbus; in her chief interests, one of
which is music—she plays the piano in
her church (Seventh-day Adventist); and
in her hobbies—she enjoys sewing, swimming, modeling, and horseback riding.
When asked how youth can best make
a contribution to their society today, Janet
had no hesitation. "By taking responsibilities," she said, "and carrying them out
in a mature manner or doing the best you
can."
00
LISTEN, July, 1974 / 5
Ways to Rea
Fitness
"Listen" talks with William Proxmire,
U.S. Senator from Wisconsin
WE UNDERSTAND, Senator, that you are active
along the line of conservation, of both natural resources
and human resources. Have you always been interested
in this?
I like the way you put that—"natural resources and
human resources." You know, we talk about ecology, and
I like to think of physical fitness as a kind of human ecology. And human ecology is something every person has
within his control. If people take care of themselves, if
they exercise and learn to relax and eat properly, they can
greatly influence their own health. I've been interested in
that since I was a small boy. My father was a doctor, and he
made quite an impression on me.
Have you been jogging for a long time?
For quite a while, but not since childhood. I started my
regular running when I was 50 years old. And I did it after
I had been here in the Senate for about seven or eight years. I
started running because I was so frustrated waiting for buses.
I'd walk a mile, catch a bus, and the bus would take me the
rest of the way to the Capitol. And after waiting for buses for
two or three consecutive days I decided to try running the
whole way to see how long it would take. I found that I could
run the five miles in 35 minutes, and it would take me 50
minutes if I took the bus.
Does your family share your interest in jogging and
physical fitness?
Well, they have their own ideas. My wife is a great tennis
enthusiast. She was 40 before she started to play very much, but
she plays in tournaments around Washington and does an
excellent job. Then my little boy, 12, is a great sports enthusiast. He likes to run, and almost all the sports. My daughter
is a swimmer, and she enjoys that very much. My older son
is kind of a maverick. He doesn't indulge in physical fitness
activities quite that much. He likes to play basketball with the
other fellows, but he doesn't have any regular exercise schedule.
Do you feel any different physically since you started
regular jogging?
Oh, yes, I feel much better. I always have felt pretty good,
but now I have more vitality; I sleep better, feel more re6 / LISTEN, July, 1974
axed, more composed. I don't feel as tired as I used to at
end of the day.
One of the most remarkable physical revelations has been
:he effect of a long walk at the end of the day. I run to work
Ind then I'll walk home. Often at the end of the day I'll feel
Frustrated and weary, and the last thing I want to do is walk
Five miles. But it has an amazing effect. The first quarter to
half mile is a drag, but then it gets better and easier. By the
time I get home I feel refreshed, relaxed, and ready to go again.
.he
How long does it take you to walk the five miles?
About 1 hour and 15 minutes. I cheat sometimes and run
part of the way.
Do you continue this procedure when you are back
in your home state?
Yes, I try to. I'm not as faithful as I used to be. For a long
time I would run every single morning wherever I was. Now
when I go back to my state, I sometimes don't run early in
the morning, but I often do. There are several places I run
in Milwaukee. And when I am out in San Francisco, I run in
a certain area. I run in almost all the major cities of the country, including New York and Boston.
You've seen quite a bit of the country on foot then?
That's right. One of the nicest runs is in Chicago, along the
lakeshore. And there is a very beautiful run in Boston where
you run around the Boston Gardens and the Boston Commons—they're not far from each other. When you run around
the Commons five or six times you get a fine workout.
When you changed your life-style and began running,
did you also change your diet as well?
No, I've never changed my diet greatly. I don't have any
favorite diet. I just think it's best to have a balance so that
you include the four basic kinds of food, including dairy products, of course, which I like to plug as a Senator from Wisconsin; but I think you should have that along with meat and
cereals, fruits and vegetables. I think if you have a balance
in those categories, it's better than if you specialize in a highprotein, high-fat, or high-carbohydrate diet.
Senator Proxmire has been in public service since
1950, when he was elected to the Wisconsin State
Assembly.
He was elected to the United States Senate in
1957 to fill the seat left vacant by the death of Senator
Joseph McCarthy. He was reelected the following
year to a full six-year term and again reelected for a
six-year term in 1964 and 1970.
Senator William Proxmire on December 19, 1973,
became the first person in U.S. Senate history to cast
3,000 straight roll call votes without missing one. Not
since April, 1966, has Proxmire missed a roll call
vote. Proxmire cast his 1,000th consecutive vote in
December, 1970, and his 2,000th consecutive vote in
March, 1972.
Senator Proxmire is vice-chairman of the HouseSenate Joint Economic Committee. He was chairman
in the 92nd Congress and is on four subcommittees
of that committee.
A ranking member on the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, he is similarly on
five subcommittees under it. He is a member of the
Senate Appropriations Committee, the House-Senate
Joint Committee on Defense Production, and the Senate Democratic Steering Committee.
You feel, then, that the use of such drugs is an artificial
use of the mind?
Senator, when you think these days about preventing
drug problems, do you feel that there would be less problem along this line if more people took up your physical
fitness program?
Yes, it's a crutch. Like any other crutch, you get so you rely
on it more and more, and you need more of it. And the side
effects, as we all know, can be most destructive.
I think so, for a number of reasons. Many people get into
drug habits because of their ill health. Many people will have
headaches or tension, and they want to relieve those, so they'll
take drugs. Others will have trouble sleeping, so they'll take
drugs to help them sleep better. These, after all, may be mild
drugs, and they might be necessary if their doctor prescribes
them. But I think that, as Dr. Paul Dudley White used to say,
"a continuous moderate exercise, like a long walk, is probably
the best and healthiest kind of sleeping potion that you can
take."
I think also that exercise eases the tension so that you are
much less likely to have to take pain-killers of various kinds.
In addition, I think many people take drugs because they want
to remove their consciousness from the here and now. I find
that by disciplining yourself so you learn to relax you can do
that at will without relying on some external stimulant and
without any of the adverse side effects.
What about the relationship between the mind and
the body? You said that your physical fitness program
and your jogging have a relaxing effect on your mind.
Well, I'm sure that the condition of the body has a great
effect on your alertness, your capacity to concentrate, your
ability to keep working on an intellectual problem, however
complex it may be. Sometimes, of course, in the Senate, as in
business operations or other occupations, these problems can
become very exacting and demanding and require a great deal
of concentration over a period of time. Good physical condition
is enormously helpful in being able to deal with these. At the
same time I think that an awareness of the benefits of physical
fitness, the great feeling that you have being healthy and alive,
and the enjoyment of so many good things in life—food, people's company, the ability to laugh, enjoying the physical reaction to swimming, et cetera, knowing in your mind that all
this depends on your physical condition—enable you to use
LISTEN, July, 1974 / 7
your mind to discipline your body. There certainly is an interplay.
Today there seem to be pressures toward the artificial
in contrast to the more natural. What specific suggestions
might you have for kids today?
Because most young people are blessed with good health,
they take it for granted. As George Bernard Shaw used to
say, "It's a shame that youth is wasted on the young." If you
can persuade them to reflect on the great benefits, even when
they're young, of concentrating on healthful habits—and because our young people today are better educated, and because
they can be persuaded to recognize the facts of life (and this
is a fact) I think we can make more progress than ever before.
We have a lot of people in the Senate who are interestec
in physical fitness. Strom Thurmond is an outstanding example
He's in great shape. He's a man in his seventies now, and he';
very conscious of exercise and diet. There are a number of
others, such as Claiborne Pell who runs regularly. Chuck Percy
is in great physical condition.
A number of Senators have stopped smoking. In fact, I've
noticed in committee after committee that a majority of the
Senator, with your awareness of physical fitness and
your jogging, I assume that you are a nonsmoker?
Yes, I'm lucky. I've never smoked.
Do you feel that smoking is inconsistent with a physical fitness program?
I feel frankly that smoking is about the stupidest thing that
people can do. I've never really been able to understand it.
Maybe if I smoked I would. Most people I talk to agree that
it's something that really doesn't give them any great satisfaction. And the price that one pays for tobacco addiction can be
so extreme, not only in lung cancer, which is becoming increasingly common, but also in heart disease and in loss of
fitness and vitality. I just can't understand why people engage
in that unattractive habit.
Do you feel that this message is getting through to
people today?
I think so. It is true that there has been a current continuation mathematically of the tobacco habit, but I think that when
you trace this you find several interesting things. One is that
many people have quit, so that without this we would have
had a far greater acceleration of smoking. Also there is a
remarkable coincidence of nonsmoking with performance in
school. For example, I understand that in the freshman class
at Princeton last year only 7 percent were smokers. That's very
indicative, because a much larger percentage of the general
population of that age smoke. I think this says a lot about the
fact that those who are the more intelligent and the more
successful are the less likely to smoke. As more people develop
an understanding of this—some of us are slow learners—I
think there will be less smoking.
How do you think we can solve the conflict between
the health dangers of smoking and the economic benefits
of tobacco sales in many large tobacco-producing states?
Well, my own state is a tobacco-producing state. It's not a
principal industry, but it's an important cash crop for our
farmers. In most tobacco areas the farmer does have an option
—he can move to something else, and I would certainly favor
some kind of Government assistance to enable the farmer to
do this. We have an enormous need for food now, and that
land now being used to produce tobacco can be used to produce food at a time when food prices are going out of sight.
And with the increased world demand for our exported food, I
think it could be very constructive.
What has been the reaction of your colleagues in the
Senate to your physical fitness program?
8 / LISTEN, July, 1974
Senator Proxmire was last year's honorary chairman of the
National AAU Physical Fitness Program. To mark the occasion the Senator did 72 pushups in 59 seconds.
Senators, especially the younger ones, don't smoke. And many
who did smoke have stopped. I think this is another indication
of their awareness of physical fitness. We have a Senate doctor
who is proud of keeping Senators alive—we beat the expectation of longevity apparently. Every day we have low-cholesterol choices on our menu, and that's something that is helpful
in avoiding heart attacks.
Speaking of these Senators who are particularly interested in physical fitness, have you noticed any reduction
in the drinking problem?
I have. The night I came here in 1957, the Senate was
about to adjourn. They were just passing the first civil rights
bill that had been enacted in 80 years, so it was an occasion
for rejoicing and celebration. But there was nothing of the
kind that I expected. A number of Senators had been drinking
heavily that night, and it was obvious that they had been. Sub-
;equently I have noticed that some Senators have been to some
!xtent under the influence. But that has diminished almost
every year I've been here. Now, Senators drink—let's face it.
?erhaps a majority do. But it's rare that they drink so much
hat it's evident in their behavior, either in committee, on the
ioor, or under other circumstances. So I think that this situa:ion has improved.
So you think there's a general trend away from both
smoking and drinking on the part of the Senators?
I think probably this is true as far as drinking is concerned,
on smoking I feel much more confident. I know a number
3f Senators who have stopped both drinking and smoking.
Jne Senator who is a friend of mine used to have a serious
irinking problem. He stopped completely, and he's been on
:he wagon now for two or three years. There are several other
senators who have stopped drinking, but I think maybe 20
senators have stopped smoking.
Dut
I suppose this would be part of the general aspect of
Physical fitness?
Yes, I think the doctors have persuaded them, certainly on
the smoking. There has been less medical evidence of the
serious effect of moderate drinking. But there's no question
about it—smoking can cause cancer, it can cause heart disease, it can be very serious. With moderate drinking, I think,
the case isn't quite as clear. It's bad for a number of reasons
physically, but I think the case hasn't been as emphatically established. So I think that Senators have reduced their tobacco
habit because of the health aspect. The reason they have
reduced their drinking is probably because they are aware
that in this age of television and a more alert and vigilant
press, and perhaps vigorous competition for office, that they
have to be careful about how they appear to their constituents.
How do you look into the future as far as smoking and
drinking are concerned? Do you feel that the health consciousness of individuals will make them more aware of
.these and continue to reduce these problems?
I think so; I certainly hope so. There is every evidence that
we are moving effectively in tobacco action. There are fewer
.corporation executives, fewer Senators and Congressmen, and
-other governmental leaders, top people in the academic area
—almost all successful people in our country are smoking less.
This is setting a pattern by example, by knowledge and experience. The medical profession has helped greatly, and the
media have helped to some extent.
The drinking area is still our most serious drug problem. It
undoubtedly causes far more human misery than any other
drug because it's so common. I'm concerned whether some of
the new drugs like marijuana, and perhaps other drugs, may
catch on and to some extent replace alcohol, so there may not
be an overall improvement. It takes years to determine how
damaging these things are. For instance, we're still working
on marijuana, but it will take a long time. Meanwhile many
people can perhaps destroy their lives and certainly their health.
Do you think that there is a potential that someday, as
you mentioned, tobacco crops will be changed to food
crops, and there won't be large tobacco concerns?
I hope so. Of course we had one experience with prohibition that has turned off a lot of people. However, I'm not so
sure that that experience was as adverse as many people are
convinced it was. From a realistic standpoint it's unlikely that
Students at Bloomingdale Elementary School in Wisconsin
welcome Senator Proxmire to their classroom.
there is going to be prohibition against either tobacco or alcohol, and there may be greater permissiveness toward some of
the other drugs. I would hope that knowledge, understanding,
education, and awareness of the great blessings of good health
and the great problems of bad health would persuade people
to abandon tobacco.
Do you feel that the media encourage people into these
habits?
I think the progress we've made in persuading the media
to publicize the adverse effects of tobacco has been salutary.
I'd love to see that stepped up in any way we can. People are
so sensitive to the media; they have such enormous power.
And I hope we can persuade the media to recognize the seriously adverse effects when you have attractive people drinking
a great deal in a TV show. This absolutely has to have an
adverse effect. It has to persuade many young people to say,
Let's try it; it's a desirable thing to do. If this attractive movie
actor does it, why shouldn't I? The media seem to be a little
more careful about smoking, but they still do a lot of that too.
I think the movies were largely the reason smoking caught on.
It seemed the mature, sophisticated, and "in" thing to do.
What suggestions might you have to young people
today taking an active part in improving the whole
situation, helping to solve some of these problems and
pointing in a better direction?
While the influence of somebody they might see on TV
might be substantial, the most profound influence with many
young people, particularly in the years when they develop the
habits of smoking and drinking, is their peers. If the others
who are young, with whom they associate, have a realistic and
sensible attitude against these things, I think they are much
less likely to smoke and drink. This undoubtedly is where we
can have the most effect—if we can persuade the young people
in high schools and colleges to take some leadership in this
area and to use their own ingenuity to persuade their colleagues to do the same.
00
LISTEN, July, 1974 / 9
th011111121/itiro
ouirG1
nig
to lin
Joseph n. farley
IN 1965 Jim Lefebvre hustled his way onto the Los Angeles Dodgers lineup, batted .284, made the Rookie of the
Year award, and helped the Dodgers win the World Series in
baseball. During the next seven years the fiery switch-hitter
played aggressive ball, excelling on defense and compiling an
overall batting average of .272.
But Jim has been repeatedly honored for accomplishments
other than his efforts on the playing field. He got involved in
an antidrug program directed initially against impressions created by a very popular book, Ball Four, by Jim Bouton, then
a big-league pitcher.
"Five years ago Bouton's book hit the stands and made a
big splash. A disproportionate part of the book dealt with the
relatively small number of ballplayers who use certain stimulants or pain-killers to enhance their efforts on the ball field,"
Jim says.
"It was sensationally overdone, and in a matter of weeks
thousands of people, many of them youngsters, believed that
most, if not all, ballplayers were constantly on bennies, uppers,
downers, greenies, or reds.
"Of course that isn't so, but there wasn't any way to prove
it," Jim says, "so during the off-season banquet tour, instead
of talking about 'My Greatest Thrill of the Past Season,' I tried
to set the picture straight. And that's when I found out that
most people, especially our supposedly sophisticated young
teens, really didn't know very much about drugs and their
effects."
Wes Parker, Los Angeles first baseman at that time, shared
Jim's concern, and the two of them decided to bone up on
drugs and to offer to talk to school groups in the Los Angeles
area. Their first offer, made by Dave Hull, a local disc jockey,
brought over 200 requests for Jim and Wes to speak.
"Things got awfully busy then," Jim recalls. "You can't talk
intelligently about any subject if you don't know it thoroughly,
so Wes and I had to go back to school."
They visited the UCLA Medical School, the USC School of
Pharmacy, Synanon, methadone maintenance centers, and the
drug rehabilitation wards of several private hospitals. They
talked to addicts, ex-addicts, private doctors, police officials,
lawyers, and educators. They spent their evenings learning the
horror of the drug subculture. During the days they visited
school groups, sometimes making five or six talks a day, five
days a week.
Within two months Jim and Wes found that they needed
help from other players. A nonprofit organization, Athletes
for Youth (AFY), was formed, and Jim and Wes became
committed to a cause that quickly became an obsession.
AFY now has at least 18 major league baseball and football
players. Working singly or in pairs, AFY members reach about
3,500 youngsters a week during the school year. Their schedules at times border on frantic.
When Jim stands up on a makeshift platform in a junior10 / LISTEN, July, 1974
high gym or cafeteria, he goes right to the point, speaking wit}
a magnetic conviction. His theme is simple: "Drugs can ruir
your life because they rob you of your potential. Not because
you're going to go crazy or blind, although that does happer
sometimes, but because drugs rob you of initiative, of ambi
tion, of strength. Even if you don't get physiologically hooked
there's a real chance that the dropout, turn-on syndrome wit
become a way of life. It's much easier to give up and grab
quick high than it is to dig in and fight. Even if you eventually
break away from drug use, you've learned to settle for mediocre
and unproductive lives, because you've developed a "so what?'
defeatist attitude. You've learned not to expect too much frorr
yourself, and that's what you get.
"Look," he tells his young hearers, "I wasn't born knowini
how to field and to hit, but I wanted to be a ballplayer eves
since I was younger than most of you. I practiced day and
night. I read, ate, slept, and lived baseball 365 days a year.
didn't know if I was good enough, but I knew that I had tc
try. I had to give it my best, and that's what life is all about.
"You don't all have to be ballplayers," Jim continues. "Tit(
point is, whatever your interests, whatever your talent, whatever your potential in any area, you'll never realize what you
might have been once you get hung up on drugs.
"And don't give me any of that junk about drugs releasing
your mind and body, because it just isn't true. I have seen
ballplayers who use drugs in one form or another, and in spite
of what they might have thought, it didn't make them play
ball one bit better. It made them moody and uncoordinated,
Jim addresses a Kiwanis Club banquet at which he was
presented a special award for his fight against drug abuse.
Pei
fhon
bu
1162111
MUNI Pau UGH
nd none of these players lasted more than a few seasons." She could laugh, and run, and think, and cry, and love. But
On the legal side of drug abuse, Jim is just as outspoken. when I saw her, she was a nothing!" Jim's voice rises in
"Get busted for a drug abuse offense, and, besides your anger at the memory.
nmediate punishment, you lose your right to hold public
"She was a cold, stiff, wet, stinking, bloated nothing! Dead
ffice, work for city, state, or Federal government, get a private at 14 on a slab in the Los Angeles County morgue because
,ilot's license, get a medical license, or become a lawyer. As of an overdose! What a waste! Is it worth the chance, the
,ell, many firms just won't hire you because of proven 'in- insane gamble, the ultimate risk?"
"
The room is quiet. Jim Lefebvre has driven home a point.
Jim points out that drugs aren't cheap and that most drug Then he says, "I love you, my young friends. I come to your
sers become unreliable so that they can't hold jobs. To sup- schools, and I hear you laugh and shout in the yard. I see your
on their habit they often turn to theft. "They may break into faces, eager, alive, curious. I talk to you in the halls, in the
Lomes, strip cars, snatch purses, mug people. A bust for purse parking lots, in your classrooms, and I love you all. I see you,
natching, shoplifting, or breaking and entering might put young, innocent, happy. And I wonder who among you will
ou in jail, but even if you luck out with only probation, the be the mothers and fathers, the teachers, the secretaries, the
rrest may close thousands of jobs to you. It locks you in a clerks, the salesmen, the technicians, and, yes, even the ballplayers who will make this world work. I wonder if there's
hadowy world of unreality, of not belonging."
Going a step further, Jim talks about the health hazards, a Rookie of the Year in this room, or maybe the doctor who
he possibility of hepatitis from dirty needles. He tells about will cure cancer.
"But mostly, I wonder who among you will be happy and
isers who have jumped out of windows while on trips. He
elates the story of a teen group in Connecticut who drank who instead will be foolish enough to let drugs rob him of any
)unch spiked with LSD, and how six of these teens, three and chance to be happy and to find out what he might have been."
half years later are still in mental institutions. He tells how
In the car on the way to another school, Jim Lefebvre sighs.
hree youth in Los Angeles extracted THC from marijuana "If I can reach just one kid, keep just one from taking that
.nd smoked it in concentrated form. Two died horrible deaths. first step—
Jim Lefebvre's effort may not have a big impact on the
Che third is a mental vegetable.
"Perhaps the saddest thing I have ever seen," Jim tells his world, no matter how many talks he gives. But he has to try.
udience, in a voice so soft that they lean forward to hear, He has seen the need, and he must give it his best effort. For
was a 14-year-old girl. She had dreams and hopes and fears. Jim Lefebvre, that's what life is all about.
00
;peaking to a high school group, Jim gets right to the
Joint. His theme is simple: "Drugs can ruin your life be-
At the end of his school program, Jim is mobbed by young
fans asking for autographs.
:ause they rob you of your potential."
LISTEN, July, 1974 / 11
"THE circle. Symbol of perfect harmony in the workings of the universe. For centuries,
one of the holiest symbols of many religions and cultures. A symbol of the day-to-day
dependence of all things in nature on each other."
The narrator continues: "Human beings are children of the universe. We are all
part of a large pattern, and we depend on each other for strength and emotional
well-being. People need people."
That's how it begins, a new movie, "Circle of Love." A young girl on the
way back from dope addiction, an
"CIRCLE
The "Circle of Love"
their own experiences
Lillian
tells the group
about her life with drugs—
how she was hooked by a push
and forced to steal to support hl
habit. There was nothing si
wouldn't do to get a fix. Final
she was busted.
"Hold on, man," Lillian tells the young rebel.
"The problem with a lot of you
young dudes, you
never want to
listen."
Bamba says that love for his family and
athletics has helped to keep him
out of trouble.
"I was once a drug pusher," Tyrone tells the others.
"I was cashing in on my people's suffering. Then I turned from a hustler to a junkie."
It was during an afternoon game with the other guys thz
Bamba spotted Ray Mays, defensive back for the Denve
Broncos football team. Ray tells him, "If you're going to b
an athlete, certain things are out, and at the top of the lis
are cigarettes, drinking, and drugs."
When Tyrone found his own brother dead from an overdose, he finally
realized what was happening to himself.
12 / LISTEN, July, 1974
LOVE"
:e a week. They share
to others.
aged ex-drunk, a young rebel, a former heroin addict—they're all part of the circle.
They come to talk to each other, to listen, and to draw strength from each other's
experiences.
This 30-minute film, produced by Audio-Visual Specialties, shows how addiction
to any substance is just a symptom of deeper problems within a person.
Groups like "Circle of Love" can help restore self-confidence, self-worth, and
the basic need felt by everyone.
At the women's
-louse of Detention Lillian
earned quickly what cold
urkey was all about. It was
ifter her release that she
oined the "Circle of Love."
Bamba Boy's life is not at all like Lillian's. He's
never been an addict or had to
serve time in jail.
Jow it's the old drunk's turn. "I was young like you guys. I
hought I was just as tough, standing on the corner smoking and
lrinking wine." He tells them that "life can be hard, very hard,
)ut wasting it away on drugs and other types of poisons is just
mother way of committing suicide."
The young rebel listens with disbelief. Then he turns to Tyrone, leader of the group. "What's your story, man? How
come you're so wrapped
up in this group
thing?"
IMAM
fter walking for hours, with his body
•aving for dope, Tyrone found himself
the quiet sanctuary of a church. It was
'ere that he decided to form the "Circle of
we."
LISTEN, July, 1974 / 13
Like the "Circle of Love" we all need to find ourselves.
This circle of people will break up, each person going his own
way. They will live out their lives in a world that each
day helps them get a little more faith in
their brothers and sisters.
Robert G. Hoehn
HE'S small. Six legs carry him wherever he wants to go.
He may or may not fly. Sometimes he hides his three distinct body parts under rocks, logs, or leaves. He may feed
during the day or venture out at night.
Who is he?
He's the bug. Class Insecta. Order Hemiptera. He's been
stepped on, cursed at, and persecuted for damaging crops.
And some think he may even be a rung in the ladder
toward drug abuse.
Wait a minute!
A bug?
Drug abuse?
Explanation, please.
14 / LISTEN, July, 1974
OK. Meet Tommy Smith, an average four-year-old lad.
He, like his neighborhood pals, simulate the Indianapolis
500 by racing Big Wheels up and down the block. Tommy
enjoys playing with his friends. When the race ends,
Tommy looks for a new adventure. He decides to go on a
nature hunt. He carefully scans the front yard, checking
every leaf, twig, and branch. He's not sure what he's looking for. But if it hops, jumps, or crawls, he'll cover it with
his glass jar, run into the house, and alert Mother. However,
Mother's in the middle of preparing dinner. She can't be
bothered with trivia, especially the six-legged kind.
Dad arrives moments later following a hard day's work.
He settles in his favorite chair with the evening paper.
Tommy approaches with the news of his captured discovery. Dad, like Mother, finds little satisfaction discussing a
creature he's known all his life.
Who will share Tommy's discovery? Maybe Jack or Paul
or Lewis or Ronnie. Surely his friends will find the bug
worth investigating.
This bug anecdote brings up an important question:
How can a bug (or, for that matter, a snake or a frog)
determine Tommy's future behavior? Well, let's dissect
a bit further. The bug, per se, isn't that overwhelming. The
main attraction comes when Tommy brings his discovery
to the attention of both parents. Their reaction will show
Tommy how they feel toward the whole adventure.
Translation is simple. No reaction spells unconcern. A
"who cares?" response might well mean, "Don't bother me.
Can't you see I'm busy?" If Tommy's discoveries go unnoticed, he'll simply stop making them. He'll likely seek
satisfaction through peer group activities. As Tommy grows
older, new encounters may take the shape of drug use.
Haim G. Ginott, author of Between Parent & Child, feels
a parent may not be aware that his remarks are attacks that
invite counterattacks, that his comments block communication by stirring children to preoccupation with revenge
fantasies. If Tommy grows up seeking revenge or escape,
he'll have friends to guide him. He won't seek Mom's or
Dad's advice.
Tommy may interpret no recognition as no love. When
a child receives no love from either parent, he has little
reason to fear its loss. He sees little value in identifying
with his parents who reject him. Their rules are not his
rules.
Tommy's parents received an excellent opportunity to
share a valuable experience with him. For example, suppose Dad went outside and spent only two minutes watching the bug. The conversation might have gone like this:
"What's the bug doing, Dad?"
"Looking for a way out, I guess."
"What kind of bug is he, Dad?"
"I suppose some kind of yard bug."
Tommy's dad lifts the jar off the ground and asks, "How
many legs does he have, Tommy?" Tommy looks closely,
wiggling his fingers back and forth.
"Six legs. He has six legs."
Point: Tom and Dad are communicating. They're working together. Dad may add kindling to the fire by explaining how organisms, no matter how small, are vital to life
and that every plant or animal has a right to live freely.
Tommy learns kindness and respect through example.
Many factors lead to drug addiction—broken homes,
poverty, emotional disturbance, insecurity, and perhaps
something as insignificant as a bug.
00
Exercise programs must be suited to each individuals
rieed, as this woman found out when she went /N
SEARCH
ODYBEAUTIFUL!
Annette Richards Parent
I'M just a plain ordinary female, nothing special. Other
than that, I want to be healthy and not get old and stiff
and crotchety before my time.
In this noble resolve I receive much encouragement.
A few years ago the big rage was the Royal Canadian
Air Force exercise regimen. The attractive booklet was
available on most magazine stands. So I bought one. It
reassured me that there were exercises geared to women
and that their build-up was gradual. "Nothing to fear," it
purred soothingly. "Just start in slowly, and soon you will
find renewed vigor and vitality."
So what had I to lose?
I followed the directions to the letter and built up my
momentum to a most satisfying level. I began to feel hale
and hearty. Who knows whether all those bumps and
bulges were smoothing out? But, boy, I felt good!
So what happened? My back started to protest, at first
only to a minor degree, then increasingly annoyingly, finally
to where without warning I would let out a loud yelp as
a muscle spasm tore loose on my unsuspecting nervous
system.
Should I continue my exercises? Were they the culprit?
I didn't know. All I know is that I ultimately delivered my
ailing anatomy to an orthopedic doctor who promptly
slapped me into some rigid pink armor, made me swear
off the cure-all, and take hot baths.
"Don't even take a deep breath for six weeks," he prescribed. "Then come back and see me."
I did as ordered, and within a few days of the six-week
appointment, my spasming back miraculously relaxed and
was normal again.
"Don't do those exercises," he advised. "I have had physically superior colonels and majors from the air force come
in for my help from those exercises. If they throw those
men into a snarl, why should you escape?"
I felt I had—but just barely.
Then someone told me that the American equivalent
of the RCAF pioneer exercise booklet was a bit better graduated, more moderate, but leading to the selfsame goal of
top physical condition. I'll admit I tried to find the booklet,
but it was nowhere I could see. So I did not get started on
that program.
Next, some well-intentioned friend gave me a pep talk
on rope jumping.
"A hundred times without stopping will do more for
your circulation, lungs, and general conditioning than anything else in a similar amount of time," she said enthusiastically.
So I invested in a jump rope and started to work up to
the 100 nonstop level. I achieved it after some time and
with a considerable sense of complacency. But something
began to happen to my feet. They began to get stabbing
pains; they hurt when I walked; I could barely limp. While
they were not the best specimens in the world, they had
done well for me since birth, and I was a bit upset at their
current acting up.
So again I hied me off to my favorite doctor. The trouble? The rope jumping on concrete. The solution? Arch
supports and no rope jumping. So I was foiled again in my
noble aspirations.
After a cooling-off period, I joined a group of housewives in a morning exercise session to a record. It was a
workout, and none of us actually did every exercise every
time indicated. But we did build up to a feeling of wellbeing. We even tackled a second more difficult record. But
Christmas came along, and after Christmas we never quite
got back into the harness again.
I tried to resume some morning setting-up exercises solo
in my living room. But have you ever tried this with a
family milling around? You're in the way. You feel embarrassed still undressed with everyone else all attired for
the day. And then there is all that housework staring you
in the face, especially the dust pussies which never bothered
you under the couch until you lay down at eye level and
could no longer ignore them. And then someone always
comes to the door or telephones when you are unfinished,
en deshabille, and the hour is late. But at least I tried.
Later on I settled for daily walks at a brisk pace. One
doctor in all seriousness had told me that I should walk at
least seven miles at almost a lope daily just to keep apace
of the deterioration of age. But how do you do this while
watching dawdling preschoolers? Or trying to keep a home
functioning? I did end up putting in about two miles a
day and felt wonderful!
LISTEN, July, 1974 / 15
My next attempt at achieving feminine pulchritude
minus girdle as camouflage came about because a kindred
spirit—or aging female—moved nearby and started jogging. She saw me walking—not ambling, but honest walking—and we exchanged notes.
"I'll walk with you if you'll jog with me," was the challenge.
Thought I naively, "Sure, why not?" And predictably I
did.
Again at first, it was hard. I got winded. I had to work
into it. But I really felt on top of the world.
"This is great;" I decided jubilantly. For less time spent,
I got more of a workout and felt infinitely better than with
walking alone.
Are you ready? Well, here it comes. Yes, something new
kicked up in my otherwise serviceable anatomy—my left
knee. It started insidiously, just a sneaking jab of pain that
could not be nailed down, barely noticed, but nevertheless
there. And each day, it demanded more attention, until
finally my long-suffering body refused to be overlooked in
the glow of my enthusiasm of my newfound sport. Mind
would no longer win over matter.
I admitted that this increasingly bad knee had never
bothered me until I started jogging. With just walking, it
behaved itself admirably, but the pain had begun along
with the jogging. They had started together and built up
together in true team spirit. I quit jogging but continued
walking. But my knee was so irritated by this time that
it did not calm down. While it did not get worse, the pain
was certainly not going away either! It would waken me
out of a sound sleep at night.
So, you guessed it. Off I went to a different specialist, my
favorite neighborhood one was 500 miles away. And, said
the man in the white coat, "No jogging." He did not recommend X rays, heat treatments, ace bandage, or surgery.
"Just lay off the jogging, hon," he said wearily. "I get
enough cases of people with complaints they can't help."
So here I am, still seeking the fountain of eternal youth,
an eager fan of the Presidential physical fitness kick, an
avid observer of the periodic stick figures of slim, limber,
strong, and energetic exercisers demonstrating the latest
angle on how to spot reduce, cure that dowager's hump, get
rid of the excess fatty tissue in the upper arms, flatten the
tummy, trim and firm the derriere, and become once more
the magnificent physical specimen I never was even in my
youth.
I read about doctors who jog, about corporation executives who take brisk daily walks and climb 15 stories to
their offices in skyscrapers in preference to the elevator, of
health clubs and tennis clubs, of yoga classes, and of TV
exercise experts—and again I feel my tummy protruding,
my double chins multiplying, my bust sagging, my breath
coming in short gasps. I gobble up the reassurance that
at any age you can keep fit and slender, that you can start
at whatever stage of physical decay in which you find yourself. And I wonder, Should I try again?
"OK," I decide, "I'll quit." That is, incurable dreamer
that I am—and beggar for punishment—until I hear of
the newest way to be healthy, full of beans, and well-stacked.
And, you're right, I'm off again—and it won't be the easy
way, that's for sure!
Some people never learn.
Now, I wonder about that bicycling regimen—hmnn.
You know, Dr. Paul Dudley White recommended it.
00
16 / LISTEN, July, 1974
HE
S
Amphetamines-What Are the Facts?
Where found: Benzedrine, Methedrine, Dexedrine,
et cetera.
Slang names: Wake-ups, Bennies, Pep pills, Cartwheels, Crystal, Dexies, Speed, et cetera.
Usual single adult dose: 2. 5-5.0 mg.
Duration of action: 4 hours.
Method of taking: Swallowing pills, capsules, or
injecting in veins.
Legitimate medical uses ( present and projected) :
Treatment of obesity, narcolepsy ( involuntary
sleep ), fatigue and depression.
Potential for psychological dependence: High.
Tolerance ( leading to increased dosage) : Yes.
Potential for physical dependence: No.
Potential for overall abuse and toxicity: High.
Reasons drug is sought ( drug effects and social
factors ): For stimulation and relief of fatigue.
To get "high" ( euphoria). A general climate
of encouraging the taking of pills for everything.
Short-term effects ( psychological, pharmacological,
and social) : Central nervous system stimulants.
Increased alertness, reduction of fatigue, loss of
appetite, insomnia, often euphoria.
Long-term effects (psychological, pharmacological,
social) : Restlessness, irritability, weight loss.
toxic psychosis ( mainly paranoid ). Diversion
of energy and money. Habituation. Extreme
irritability, toxic psychosis.
Form of legal regulation and control: Available in
large amounts by ordinary medical prescription
which can be repeatedly refilled or can be obtained from more than one physician. Widely
advertised and "detailed" to physicians and
pharmacists. Other manufacture, sale, or possession prohibited under Federal drug abuse
and similar state drug laws. Moderate penalties.
Widespread illicit traffic.
Source: Joel Fort, M.D. The National Center for
Solving Special Social and Health Problems.
MY FRIEND and I were talking
when she unexpectedly said, "Shirley,
how did you get to know yourself so
well?"
It surprised me for a moment. "I
really don't know how well I know
myself," I confessed, "but I am aware
of working at it. One of the things
that fascinates me in life is trying to
figure out how human beings tick. If
I don't learn to know me, I won't be
able really to know anyone else, will I?"
The art of awareness, among other
things, embodies knowing yourself. In
fact, this seems to be the starting point.
It's advantageous in life to know yourself, and other people, on a fairly deep
level. Artists, musicians, and writers
seem to be blessed with an innate
awareness, an acute sensitivity to life
and people. They need this awareness
to depict life as it is being lived in a
picture, a musical composition, or a
story. But everyone can improve on
this technique of awareness.
Today's new generation is working
at awareness as no generation before.
And it's a good thing. It isn't good to
be content to settle for superficial human relationships. What a bore it is
to go to parties where most of the
chatter centers around the weather,
new recipes, homemaking, or some
specific line of work. It's more interesting to discuss your real feelings with
others, to try to find out what they are
really thinking about.
The young people in our community
love to ride to the top of our Mount
Constitution to watch a beautiful sunrise. or the full moon on a clear autumn
night. In his provocative book, The
Greening of America, Charles A. Reich
reminds his readers that "people are
'together' when they experience the
same thing in the same way." One
simple way to do this is to observe
God's handiwork in nature with another human being you are in tune
with.
Another way is through music. A
young friend of mine and I spent an
entire evening last spring listening to
some new records. She especially likes
the styles of two contemporary singers,
so we listened to their albums. Mary
would not let me comment until the
music stopped playing. "You have to
really concentrate, sense their mood,
and listen to get the full effect," she
explained.
At first I missed our usual in-depth
talks, but at the end of a couple of
hours I knew we had communicated
silently in the sharing of our mutual
love—music. For the first time we were
speaking to each other with just our
eyes, and perhaps a smile. Once you
get onto nonverbal communication
there's nothing quite like it. The
shirley m. dever
the art of
awareness
friendship between Mary and me took
on a new dimension, and we can never
forget it. I think we now know what
Mr. Reich describes as "having your
heads in the same place at the same
time" is all about!
This author makes the point that
really to be aware you have to feel like
"an outsider." This is easy to understand when you realize that the kind
of awareness he's talking about involves the simple life, a return to
nature. The best things in life are free
—the moon, soft rain, tall trees, rushing rivers, glorious sunsets, wonders of
nature that we seldom take time to
appreciate.
But to do this we often have to turn
our backs on more popular "delights"
—cars, clothes, gourmet food, fancy
furniture—in short, the artificial side
of life. This side of our lives must be
almost abandoned from time to time
if we are to learn the art of awareness.
People today are looking for more
open relationships. They realize the
value of warmth, closeness, realism,
sensitivity, and sharing when with
other people. They want to be real and
share this reality with other real people.
They want to live below the mere surface and enjoy simple pleasures. Yet
there are still many people who cannot
buy this concept of living.
Awareness is related to one's set of
values. If the emphasis is on material
things, this deadness of the soul is
going to be a reality. True love cannot
embrace things! An overemphasis on
money also makes a person dead and
dull inside. These things are needed;
no one can deny that! But the trick is
to keep them in balance, and not overemphasize them. The people I know
who radiate aliveness are not hooked
on the physical, materialistic side of
life. They continue to grow mentally
and spiritually as life goes on. This
makes for a dynamic individual—one
who is alive, awake, and aware most
of the time.
The art of awareness is more attainable if you retain a childlike wonder of
the world around you. As I type this
article, I peer out at Eastsound through
the sweeping branches of forest firs. I
never tire of my marine view. On a
clear day I can catch the snow-capped
peaks of the Mount Baker range in
the distance. A giant fir tree atop our
rocky point serves as a sentinel to
warn of impending storms at sea.
Emerald green islands are in the distance.
One of my secrets for staying aware
is to go for short walks throughout the
day. Outside, the view of life is wider,
and one knows that God's in His
heaven and all's right with the world
—at least the world outside my door
where fir, pine, and cedars greet me
and the sea stretches out in front of
me. No wonder I utter this prayer:
God, always let me stay aware!
00
LISTEN, July, 1974 / 17
Editorial / Editorial / Editorial
July, 1974 / Vol. 27, No. 7
"Do It Today"
This is a sign on the desk of the mayor of Dearborn
Heights, Michigan.
For everyone this would be a good slogan, whether
student, office man, farmer, executive, or whatever.
But for Mayor John Canfield it has unusual significance, because the mayor is a dying man. Though his
mind and muscle are still active, he knows that each
day brings him closer to death. He has lung cancer.
"As long as there's life, there's hope," he says. With
each official act, he is living out that determination to
stay on the job to the end.
Physicians have told Mayor Canfield that unless
there is a major medical breakthrough, he will be dead
within six to eight months.
He is constantly reminded of his precarious condition, suffering some pain and discomfort. He undergoes
chemotherapy treatments in Detroit's Henry Ford Hospital. In addition he takes a dozen pills a day and
spends time on a breathing machine. On his home
telephone is a special button to summon the fire department in case of emergency.
"I will resign," says the mayor, "only when and if
my health condition gets to the point that I cannot,
either physically or mentally, carry on the duties of the
office of mayor."
John Canfield has been mayor of his city since it
was incorporated in 1963. He is the father of two children.
An operation is impossible on his right lung, which
is now involved with cancer, since several years ago
his cancerous left lung was removed. He learned of
his condition after filing for his fourth term as mayor.
However, doctors told him that radiation treatment
might prolong his life. With that hope extended to him
he conducted a successful campaign for reelection.
Later, after assuming office, he was stricken with
pneumonia and bronchitis. It was then that the prognosis was revised and the forecast made that death
would result from one of these two conditions.
"There's not much hope," admits the mayor, "but
as long as there's life, there's hope."
And again he looks at his desk to see once more the
reminder, "Do it today."
Of course not everyone is facing the same specter
as is Mayor Canfield, though no one knows when accident or sudden death may strike.
Yet the mayor's motto is an excellent one to put into
practice. If, for example, you've been wishing to discard that cigarette, do it today. If you've been planning to get help to quit that cocktail habit, do it today.
If you have put off that which you know can bring
better health of body or mind, begin it today.
Life is short at best, so why not put the best into it
—today.
Journal of Better Living
Executive Director / Ernest H. J. Steed
Editor / Francis A. Soper
Associate Editor / Twyla Schlotthauer
Assistant Editor / Tim Garrison
Editorial Secretary / June Franklin
Office Editor / T. R. Torkelson
Art Director / Howard Larkin
Layout Artist / Ichiro Nakashima
Circulation Manager / A. R. Mazat
Sales and Promotion / L. R. Hixson, Milo Sawvel
A. V. Pinkney, C. D. Watson
End of a Dream / Bonnie L. Floyd / 2
Janet Reeves—Miss American Teen-Ager / 5
Ways to Real Fitness / LISTEN Interview
with Senator William Proxmire / 6
Ballplayers Do More Than Play Ball /
Joseph N. Farley / 10
"Circle of Love" / Picture Feature / 12
Tommy's Bug / Robert G. Hoehn / 14
In Search of the Body Beautiful! / Annette
Richards Parent / 15
What Are the Facts? / 16
The Art of Awareness / Shirley M. Dever / 17
"Do It Today" / 18
LISTEN News / 19
Toward Creativity (poem) / Alice Mackenzie
Swaim / 24
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LISTEN, monthly journal of better living (twelve issues a
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CotaVriaht Cc) 1974, by Narcotics Education, Inc.
LISTEN
COLOR SPECIAL
Cigarette Smoke Affects
Blood Platelet Activity
Many Antibiotic Drugs May
Be Prescribed Incorrectly
More than half of the antibiotic
drugs given to patients in hospitals
either are not needed or are prescribed incorrectly, says a report to
the Senate Health subcommittee.
The cost of these unnecessary
prescriptions could total as much as
$200 million a year for the nation,
estimates Dr. James A. Visconti of
Ohio State University's College of
Pharmacy.
In addition, he says, 14 percent of
the patients suffer adverse drug
reactions from the unneeded antibiotics that force them to stay in
the hospital longer than they would
have if they had not been given
the drug.
This irrational prescribing of antibiotics has resulted in needless
adverse reactions, unnecessary expense, and, in the long run, a shift
in the ecology of hospital infections
toward infections more dangerous
and harder to treat than the ones
more common in the past, says Dr.
Charles C. Edwards, assistant secre-
tary of Health, Education, and Welfare.
Dr. Sidney Wolfe, director of
Ralph Nader's health-research
group, blames the pharmaceutical
industry for the unnecessary prescription of drugs.
"A well-trained actor could probably prescribe drugs as rationally
as the thousands of American doctors whose prescribing practices reflect drug company indoctrination
in lieu of scientific evaluation,"
says Wolfe.
"It is now known," he continues,
"that billions of wasted dollars,
hundreds of thousands of unnecessary hospitalizations, and thousands
of lives needlessly lost are the price
society pays for the promotional
excesses of the drug industry."
But as Dr. Edwards, one of the
nation's top Federal health officials,
says, "As long as treatment of disease is as unspecific as it is, I think
that we are going to continue to
overuse antibiotics."
Researchers have reported that
nicotine may cause heart attacks,
and even nonsmokers in the presence of smokers absorb enough
nicotine to affect certain blood
components.
Dr. Ted P. McDonald, associate
professor at the University of Tennessee Memorial Research Center,
has been studying the effects of
nicotine on blood platelets for the
past three years.
Platelets are primarily responsible for blood clotting.
"In three years of research we
have found that very, very low
levels of nicotine increase blood
platelet activity," McDonald said.
"As platelets become more active,
they begin to clump. If they become overactive, thrombosis or
blood clots can develop."
"Based on the data from our stu-
Parents' Habits
Influence Babies
Even when only the father is a
heavy smoker and the mother is a
nonsmoker, perinatal mortality increases, says Dr. G. Mau, of the
Kiel University Pediatric Clinic, in
West Germany.
He found that heavy coffee or alcohol use by pregnant women increases prematurity rates and that
women who smoke have babies
weighing an average of 200-300 gm.
less than other neonates.
Coffee, but not tea or cola drinks,
correlated with increased prematurity, which in turn increased
perinatal mortality.
Regular use of alcohol shortened
the length of pregnancy somewhat
compared with nonusers and occasional users. Perinatal mortality
dropped when mothers were heavy
milk drinkers.
dies, nicotine could well be the
causative agent of some heart attacks, especially in smokers," he
said.
In studies on laboratory rats McDonald and his associate, Marshall
E. Reese, Jr., have found that
platelet activity increases from 10
to 15 percent in animals exposed to
the smoke of eight cigarettes per
day for 10 days. Animals exposed
to 16 cigarettes per day over the
same period showed even higher
platelet activity.
"If blood platelet activity increases by about the same percentage in man as it does in rats, and
we believe that it does, this percentage increase could be critical
to a person with a thrombotic condition," McDonald said. "Unfortunately, the human body is very efficient in absorbing nicotine, and
this applies to both smokers and
nonsmokers."
He said that while a 10 to 15 percent increase may appear small, it
is significant when one considers
that the animals were exposed to
the smoke much in the manner of
a nonsmoker in a small, smokefilled room.
"One of our primary objectives is
to determine the least amount of
smoke the body can tolerate without affecting the blood coagulation
mechanism," McDonald said.
"While we have been experimenting with very, very low levels of
smoke and nicotine, the amounts
we are using still have noticeable
effects on platelet functions."
McDonald said that when the
studies began three years ago, he
had hoped to use both laboratory
animals and blood samples from
humans. But he said it soon was
apparent that since an extremely
small amount of nicotine affects
platelets, no humans without exposure to nicotine could be found.
Pipe or Cigar No Better Than Cigarettes
Want to protect your health by
switching from cigarettes to cigars
or a pipe? Better give up smoking altogether, advises the American Lung Association.
It's been widely believed that
cigars and pipes are safer than
cigarettes, but an article in the association's monthly "Bulletin" says,
"People who smoke pipes and cigars instead of cigarettes reduce
some hazards to their health, but
increase others."
Because most regular pipe and
cigar smokers don't inhale, the article points out, their chances of
developing coronary heart disease
or severe lung diseases such as
chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and
lung cancer are smaller than those
of cigarette smokers.
The association warns, however,
of a special danger for cigarette
smokers who switch. Since they
have usually established patterns
of inhaling, some studies show they
are more likely to inhale cigar and
pipe smoke than smokers who have
used these other forms of tobacco
right along.
"Even tobacco smoke that, is not
inhaled still affects the sites it
touches," says the Lung Association. "Hot smoke lingers inside the
mouth and can travel into the
throat and windpipe, even into the
upper breathing passages. Smoke,
which may be dissolved in the saliva and absorbed by the mucous
membranes of the mouth, can be
swallowed and enter the digestive
tract. Inhaling is not necessary to
expose all of these sites to the
harmful effects of hot smoke."
Because of such exposure, it is
noted, "the incidence of cancer of
the mouth, throat, larynx (voice
box), and stomach are as high for
cigar and pipe smokers as for cigarette smokers — in some studies
even higher. And pipe smoking,
either alone or in combination with
other forms of smoking, seems to
be a direct cause of lip cancer."
19
July, 1974
LISTEN NEWS
Drinking Hits
Indians Hard
Young Alcoholics Need
More Treatment Programs
For 19-year-old John it was a
tough day at school with a morning full of exams and an afternoon
highlighted by a visit to the dean.
As the clock moved toward the
dismissal bell, John found himself
thinking more and more of the gallon of wine he and his friends
would share to kill the evening. He
knew that well before midnight,
the troubles of his school day
would be little more than a blur.
Joanne, meanwhile, wasn't looking forward to returning home. She
knew her mother would be well
into a quart of Scotch. Her dad, if
he came home at all, would likely
stagger to bed. Dinner would be
dubious.
John and Joanne are fictional.
But their stories are real enough
for thousands of American young
people who either drink for the
wrong reasons or are trapped in alcoholic environments in which
normal family life is the exception. Often their situations are
further complicated by drugs.
In New York City alcohol-treatment specialists estimate conservatively that there are at least 66,000
teen-agers thus affected. Treatment
centers report an increasing number of queries from youth concerning their own drinking or that of
those around them. Yet, until now,
there has been no formal outlet to
guide them.
"I think it's shocking that we
had no programs for the young.
We've had blinders on our eyes in
looking at this problem," says Joel
Bennett, president of the New York
Council on Alcoholism.
Bennett announced recently that
ACCEPT, an alcohol treatment program he heads for New York's Columbus Hospital, would soon begin
providing counsel and treatment
for young persons. It is the first
such program in New York City
and believed to be among the first
in the nation.
"We're not doing what we need
to be doing in terms of primary
prevention," Bennett says, observing that at least 6 percent of all
persons who drink inevitably end
up with a drinking problem.
"Our schools, for instance, ought
to have real primary prevention
programs just like driver-education programs," he says.
"But I'm not saying that we
should have a scare program. You
can't go and tell a group of kids
that they are going to become alcoholics and this is the way they'll
end up.
"Yet statistically, 6 percent of
them are going to end up there. So
we've got to address the question.
. . . Young people must understand
that there is the possibility that
many of them will develop problems."
American Indians are dying 'on
the highways at least four times
as frequently as the population in
general.
Indians living on or near reservations number 535,000. Of these,
an estimated 1,000 die annually in
traffic accidents. In the U.S. as a
whole, 57,000 persons—out of a population of 210 million—died last
year in traffic accidents.
Federal officials say that many
Indians drive home drunk—sometimes over considerable distances—
on bad roads, because drinking is
forbidden on reservations, where
40 percent are unemployed.
One area particularly hard hit by
the double curse of drinking and
bad roads is Gallup, New Mexico,
where there is a total of 54 bars in
an area of 50,000 population, largely
Indian. "Obviously alcoholism has
been a problem for our county,"
says McKinley County Sheriff Bob
Bass.
Bass is quick to add that the old
two-lane state highways that lead
from the Navajo reservations to
Gallup need replacing, or at least
widening, because they carry "so
much traffic." He says that on
weekends, Gallup's population is
three times its normal size.
Drugs Affecting
Army's Readiness
The drug-abuse problem has become so serious among American
troops stationed in Europe that it
could be affecting the military
readiness of the combat forces.
This is what Army Chief of Staff
Gen. Creighton W. Abrams told
Sen. Harold Hughes.
Hughes said that Abrams acknowledged in a closed session of
the Senate Armed Services Committee that "any force with that
size of a drug problem has to have
some effect on its readiness."
Abrams also told him that the
problem in Europe now is comparable in seriousness to the one
in Vietnam when U.S. forces were
fighting there.
cy Medical
Reports
It's the Fizz
A whiskey and soda makes a man
drunker quicker than straight
whiskey, a London physician reports. It's the fizz that does it.
Dr. Gaston Pawan of Middlesex
hospital in London says he evolved
this sobering theory by using a
team of medical students who volunteered to get drunk.
"The bubbles in a fizzy drink
make the substance go to the duodenum more quickly," he says.
He says intoxication also comes
faster from lukewarm drinks and
from ones containing between 10
and 20 percent alcohol. This concentration works faster than
stronger drinks or heavily watered
ones.
"Above 20 percent, alcohol is an
irritant and so will not pass as
quickly to the duodenum from
where it is absorbed into the bloodstream," Pawan says.
As for the morning after, the
only real aid was a large dose of
ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and
honey, according to Dr. Pawan.
Tar Levels
The latest Federal Trade Commission test for tar and nicotine
levels of the 128 varieties of domestic cigarettes reveals some interesting facts.
Compared with the results of its
previous test in August it showed
that
• 25 varieties showed increases in
tar content, while 46 showed decreases, and 51 remained the same.
• 9 varieties had increases in nicotine, while 57 revealed decreases,
and 56 varieties remained the same.
Comparisons were not possible in
35 instances either because varieties weren't available during the
sampling period or were new varieties.
Annoying Pot Smokers Prompt
Fellow Students' Complaints
Police have sharply increased the
number of marijuana arrests they
are making on college campuses.
The arrests are coming after a
period during which law enforcement and university officials appeared willing to ignore the clouds
of marijuana smoke—at least until
the clouds could be classified as
air-pollution hazards.
Locally, police don't keep separate statistics on campus arrests,
though they indicate they believe
the trend is upward.
More surprising is the reason
they and campus officials give:
Many students are complaining
about other students who are using
drugs.
"Before, I would receive off-thecuff remarks — not formal complaints — about drugs from colleagues [on the faculty]," says
Robert Lenker, Temple University
(Pennsylvania) vice-president.
"Now students even make formal
complaints about excess cigarette
smoking."
Dr. William Biddle, secretary for
Temple University's discipline
committee, gives this example: "If
someone is trying to study in the
school cafeteria and is annoyed by
someone else, by rowdiness from
getting high on pot, or by the stringent odor coming from someone
else's pot, he just won't tolerate it."
At Temple there are also other
theories for the upsurge in arrests.
Andrew D. Kutney, director of security, suggests that students are
getting just a bit too open about
the use of marijuana. "Why, we've
seen students smoking reefers on
the lawns here. We just don't turn
our heads and ignore it."
011
$4$4
Dr. Jacques P. Vandevoorde (left) and Dr. Hans J. Hansen check a sample of
goat antiserum at Hoffman-LaRoche, Inc. The Food and Drug Administration has
granted the drug firm a license to sell a blood test kit which may help doctors
detect certain types of cancer.
LISTEN NEWS
July, 1974
Parents Influence
Drug Use by Kids
"Don't I hear
anyone say,
'Nice try'?"
Alcohol and Cigarettes Are
Serious Canadian Problems
Alcohol and tobacco are the most
serious drug-abuse problems affecting the health and welfare of
Canadians, according to the LeDain
Report.
The report also makes these recommendations:
• Police should be empowered to
round up suspected hard-drug addicts for semicompulsory treatment.
• Methadone treatment should be
expanded and be available to all
heroin addicts.
• Heroin should be administered
as last-resort therapy to addicts
who do not respond to methadone
treatment.
• Possession offenses for marijuana and hashish should be removed from the criminal law and
treated with more leniency.
• Tighter advertising controls are
needed on tobacco, alcohol, and
patent drugs.
• Nonmedical drugs should be divided into classes according to the
relative seriousness of trafficking in
them.
While the report, as one Canadian newspaper put it, "leans
toward liberalization but has something for everyone," it concludes
that the outlook for treatment of
drug abusers of all kinds is "essentially discouraging. . . . We must
persist in our efforts to develop a
more effective social response to
nonmedical drug use and its effects. What we have to avoid are
unreal expectations of success.. . .
We have to learn to live with a discouraging rate of apparent failure."
The statement on alcohol and tobacco differed little from the commission's view in its first report
published in 1970.
"Alcohol is, and is likely to re-
main, Canada's most serious nonmedical drug-use problem. From
almost any point of view, the effects of the excessive use of alcohol are more harmful than those of
any other form of nonmedical
drug."
The report described tobacco as
a serious public health problem
and a leading contributor to disease and premature death.
"Tobacco use itself does not generally lead to injury to third persons, as in the case of alcohol, nor
does it cause psychological damage.
But it creates a serious risk of
physical harm and substantially increased mortality rates in heavy
users."
The National Commission on
Marijuana and Drug Abuse suggests that parents can discourage
drug use by their children.
Among the guiding principles of
parent conduct, the first should be
recognition that their patterns of
drug use or nonuse serve as a
model for their children. Repeated
scientific studies have indicated
that there is a strong correlation
between the degree of responsibility exercised by the parents in
using drugs and that exercised by
the children.
The second principle is that curiosity and the search for experience
is a normal aspect of the adolescent
growth process. Experimentation
with drugs is properly disapproved,
but parents should understand that
youthful curiosity is generally a
desirable motivation, which the
parents should fashion and encourage.
Third, parents must concentrate
on discouraging initial drug use;
too often parental concern is generated only after use has begun.
Moreover, the family's preventive
function should not be limited to
forestalling drug use. It should
also include attempts to deal with
the entire spectrum of adolescent
needs.
Finally, parents must assume primary responsibility for the detection of and response to drug use by
their child. Too often parents have
abdicated their responsibility to institutions, such as schools. These
institutions, in turn, tend to act in
place of parents and try to remedy
the child's difficulties, including
drug use and drug-related behavior, without involving the family.
When this happens, any problems in family structure are only
aggravated. Parents must serve as
the treatment agency of first resort.
If they decide that referral to professional services is necessary, they
must participate actively with the
program or person which provides
these services.
WHAT WHERE
WHY WHO
WHO HOW
WHEN WHAT
• Twenty-four percent of the fatally injured drivers tested were
found to be using drugs, based on
a study of 191 cases of car crashes.
The study was done by the U.S.
Department of Transportation.
Of the drivers whose tests indicated drugs, 13 percent showed evidence of drugs with alcohol while
11 percent showed drugs only. The
most frequent drugs found: barbiturates and amphetamines. (UPI)
• A prohibition against smoking
would do more to cut down the
levels of carbon monoxide in urban
air than a reduction in automobile
exhaust, according to a study made
by the Center for Urban and Environmental Research and Services
at Southern Illinois University.
Associate Professor Alfred Kahn
says that higher levels of carboxyhemoglobin are associated more
with smoking and with industrial
work than with automobile exhaust. (Medical Tribune)
• Nebraska's legislature has outlawed smoking in such public
places as elevators, theaters, libraries, art museums, concert halls, or
public buses, unless smoking areas
are designated. (AP)
• Marijuana took a first place blue
ribbon at the Central Kansas Free
Fair in Abilene.
The marijuana stems were used
as greenery in a predominantly red
floral arrangement submitted by
Mrs. Faye Harp.
"I thought it looked pretty nice
because of the long, fernlike
leaves," Mrs. Harp said, adding that
the marijuana grows wild in her
backyard. "I've tried killing it out,
but the more I chopped it down,
the more it came up." (AP)
• Norway's parliament has passed
legislation to ban all advertising
for cigarettes and other tobacco
products. (AP)
24 Joints Apiece in U.S. Last Year
The Senate Internal Security subcommittee estimates that makings
for more than 5 billion marijuana
and hashish cigarettes entered the
United States last year.
This was enough to provide
nearly 24 "joints" for every man,
woman, and child in the country
and indicates that "consumption
far exceeds any previous estimates," says a Senate report.
Chairman James 0. Eastland says
scientific research warns that widespread use of the drugs "can do
serious genetic damage to future
generations."
"It is almost like playing genetic
Russian roulette," he says.
The subcommittee's estimate of
imports was based on Drug Enforcement Administration figures
on seizures of marijuana and hashish, both products of the cannabis
plant, for the first nine months of
1973.
Using these figures and projecting
them for the final three months of
the year, the estimate assumes that
roughly 10 times as much marijuana and hashish gets into the
country as is seized by authorities
and customs officials.
Eastland calls this estimate fairly
conservative, a rule of thumb, and
says it indicates that total consumption of marijuana in 1973 was
roughly 17 million pounds and of
hashish somewhere about 500,000
pounds.
The subcommittee began an investigation of the world drug situation and its impact on internal security in 1972.
"We have been concentrating on
the heroin epidemic for the past
two years, and there seems to be
some solid evidence of progress in
dealing with this affliction," Eastland says.
"But it is impossible to escape the
conclusion that, while our attention was focused on heroin, there
has been a runaway escalation of
the use of other drugs, primarily
marijuana and hashish," he comments.
Eastland says that "the pandemic
use of marijuana and hashish has
been brought about, in part, by a
militant promarijuana propaganda
campaign conducted by many New
Left organizations and by the entire underground press. . . .
"And it has been stimulated, perhaps in major degree, by a number of highly publicized reports,
some official, some unofficial, which
have taken a rather benign attitude
toward marijuana."
Eastland says that, in partial defense of the drafters of these reports, "it should be noted that they
did not have available to them at
the time . . . most of the highly
significant scientific research conducted over the past few years that
puts a danger sign on cannabis
use."
'31
July, 1974
LISTEN NEWS
like YOU l'OZZLE1)?
POP'S PUZZLE
Healthy Experience Is Best
Deterrent to Use of Drugs
Lorraine J. Carbary
What can you do to stem the tide paigns that drugs—including pep
pills and tranquilizers—can solve
of drug abuse in the U.S.?
How many "pops" do you know that aren't Dads?
Here are some solutions offered human problems.
Sociologist Lewis Yablonsky
at a unique conference on "SoIndian maize that pops
1. POP
points out that there are more
ciety: the Friendly Pusher":
when heated.
• Form a citizens' lobby, similar to than 2.25 million prescriptions for
Common Cause, to combat drug such drugs written annually in the
Fast-growing tree with light abuse.
2. POP
U.S. "And many of them are for
housewives," he says.
wood.
• Face up to the situation that
• Be consistent as parents. Do not
drug
use
is
too
frequent
in
society
Total number of inhabitants.
3. POP
—and not limited to criminals and use alcohol indiscriminately and at
the same time denounce youngsters
those with mental problems.
Plant with showy red
4. POP ____
for smoking marijuana.
Too
often
housewives
take
pills
flowers.
to keep them going during the day. • Focus first on prevention—and
Truck drivers take drugs to stay then on treatment and rehabilitaPuffy muffin cake or hot
5. POP _
awake during all-night hauls. And tion.
bread.
students use them to stay up for • Promote better family underexaminations.
Device for popping corn.
standing about drugs and their ef6. POP
• Don't rely on the courts to stamp fects. Do not leave orientation exHigh fly in baseball.
7. POP- ____
out widespread use of hard drugs, clusively to schools and outside
marijuana, and LSD. Stem the tide groups.
Nonsense; trash.
8. POP
first in your community.
Professor Yablonsky, a specialist
The common people.
• Structure broad recreational and in delinquency and family prob9. POP
cultural programs as alternatives lems, stresses that the real base of
Toy air-compression gun.
10. POP
power in combating drug abuse is
to drug use.
"If we provide something better, in the home and the community,
Frozen
confection.
11.
kids won't turn on," says Allan Y. rather than in Federal programs.
Cohen, executive director of the "We've got to reject the concept
Strong fabric with fine ribs.
12.
John F. Kennedy University Insti- that relief is just a swallow away,"
The state of being liked by
tute for drug-abuse education and he adds.
13. POP
research.
Roger 0. Egeberg, administrator
many.
Dr. Cohen adds that "healthy hu- of the U.S. alcohol, drug-abuse,
Thickly peopled.
man experience" is the best deter- and mental health programs, calls
14. POP
rent to drug abuse. He points to a on parents to "give their children
The way fathers should have high school study where the large more time, more direction, and
15. POP
felt on June 16.
majority of nonusers said they re- more responsibility . . . and don't
jected drugs because "there was scare the kids" in coping with drug
no need."
problems.
The psychologist explains, "It
Dr. Egeberg further criticizes
wasn't fear of aftereffects or con- physicians who "give too many
cern about getting arrested or even prescriptions" and those parents
respect for their parents, but a 'life who set a poor example for youngis fine—I have good relationships sters by stocking their medicine
University of Chicago researchers normal dose of heroin to overcome with people' attitude."
cabinets with sedatives, stimulants,
say they have developed a vaccine the immunizing effect of the vac- • Reject slick advertising cam- and mood changers.
that has successfully immunized a cine.
monkey against heroin.
The vaccine was made by chemiANSWERS
Their findings may make it pos- cally altering the heroin molecule
..1°InclOd-SL •s'I°Ind0d-6 Al!JalnclOd-E u!IdOcl-Ll 012!sd0c1-1.
sible to develop vaccines that to attach a protein to it. With its
iill6d0d-01. 10)0111/410d-6 fro,Adaoes !cm-clod-1 !..eddod-9
would immunize people against protein partner, the heroin was
:Janodod-S lAddOeti tle!.10IndOd-E .113 1d0c1-Z !uicod0d-L
narcotics.
viewed by the monkey's immunoThe monkey was able to kick the logical defense system as a foreign
heroin habit after it was injected intruder.
with antiserum to opium derivaJust as the defense system builds
tives, including the heroin mole- immunity to viruses and other
cule, says Dr. Bruce Wainer, who germs, it also developed a resistheaded the two-and-a-half-year re- ance against the tandem heroin
search effort.
molecule.
The monkey had become addicted
Immunity consists of antibodies—
to heroin, but after the injection it chemical fighters that are specifiabruptly refused to take any more cally designed to fight and neutralheroin. It required 16 times the ize a particular invader.
Vaccine Is Developed to
Immunize Against Heroin
Governments Warn of Smoking Risks
Governments around the world
are increasing their warnings about
the hazards of cigarette smoking,
but many are continuing their economic exploitation of the habit.
That pattern is true in East and
West, developed and developing
nations, and Communist and nonCommunist governments, according
to a report on "Smoking and Health
Programs Around the World" published by the National Clearinghouse for Smoking and Health.
China, which puts high priority
on public health, has become the
world's second largest tobacco producer, behind only the United
States, and is now a buyer of fluecured Virginia tobaccos.
22
In some countries there is a trend
toward less hazardous cigarettes,
the report said. Some countries
publicize the tar and nicotine content of cigarettes and encourage
smokers to use filter-tipped cigarettes. These countries include
Australia, Canada, Japan, the
United States, and the United
Kingdom.
Germany and Austria in 1973
joined a growing list of countries
which have banned cigarette advertising from radio and television.
Others are Afghanistan, Canada,
the United States, the United Kingdom, Finland, Italy, Ireland, Japan,
Netherlands, Singapore, Swizterland, and Zambia.
A friendly St. Bernard gets an affectionate hug from Mary Beth Good before
he trots off to aid a stranded gasless snowmobiler at the Bear Mountain Recreation Area in Grayling, Michigan. The change from brandy to gasoline is
just one idea to bolster Grayling's "Help the Traveler" program.
I
THE ANSWER TO ALCOHOLISM
by Ernest H. J. Steed
The author presents the greatest
avenue for alcoholism prevention
by learning the secret of its cause.
Paper,
$1.95
THE CREEPING MADNESS
Today's hottest issue—
BRUGQ
bill
$2.50
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WHY NOT SMOKE?
by J. DeWitt Fox, M.D.
Face the facts!
Do you smoke?
You can stop!
$ .50
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rh
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TOWARd CREATIVITY
Living
should stretch beyond
a mere apprenticeship,
to freedom of original
design.
Alice Mackenzie Swaim.