COMMENTARY: HIGH SCHOOL'S TOBACCO USE POLICY A GOOD BEGINNING

CONGRATULATIONS to Springfield High School and police officer Scott Molaski
for taking steps toward curbing student tobacco use.

The front page of The Register-Guard on Jan. 28 reported Springfield High's
latest policy for handling minors caught with tobacco at school. For a first
offense, students are given a written warning; for the second offense, they
must attend a parent conference; for the third offense, they are cited for
being a minor in possession of tobacco, for which they face a potential $100
fine.

Although possession of tobacco by Oregon youths younger than 18 has been
illegal since 1991, that law generally is poorly enforced. Springfield
High's program can serve as a model for other districts. Yet we also hope
the program will inspire other sectors of the community to pull together and
fight the tobacco problem. Enforcing Oregon's Minor in Possession of Tobacco
law should be just one piece of a comprehensive, communitywide prevention
campaign.

While young people should bear some responsibility for their own choices,
teen smoking is just a symptom of a much larger problem. The equivalent of
one classroom of Oregon children starts smoking every day; one-third of
those children will eventually die from tobacco-related disease. Since most
smokers start by age 12, many kids are already heavily addicted by the time
they reach high school.

Molaski, according to The Register-Guard report, recognizes that tobacco
serves as a "gateway" to the use of other drugs, including alcohol,
marijuana, cocaine and heroin. In other words, most people who end up
becoming hard-drug users begin substance use behavior by experimenting with
tobacco. Tobacco experimentation teaches young people the same risk-taking
behaviors involved in other drug use, such as how to lie and steal. While
Molaski has the right idea, we advocate preventive measures at an earlier
age, before children try their first cigarette.

The tobacco industry spends upward of $6 billion a year on advertising. A
huge proportion of this money goes toward convincing young people that
tobacco use is cool, mature and rebellious. Citing and fining kids for
possession may simply enhance that rebellious image. Rather than encouraging
teens to quit, citations may make them better at hiding their addiction. And
guess who supports placing the blame on children? Big Tobacco. Could it be
that the tobacco industry recognizes that fining kids will have a boomerang
effect, in fact encouraging the behavior it aims to deter?

Despite Oregon laws prohibiting tobacco sales to minors, some retailers
continue to sell tobacco to children. Springfield Together! conducts store
visits with youths every six months. Clerks who refuse to sell tobacco to
underage youths are rewarded. During the last round of visits, in October
1999, 28 percent of Springfield stores (15 of 53) were willing to sell
tobacco products to minors.

So what can a community do to impact the tobacco problem? Schools and law
enforcement can't combat tobacco use alone. If you see retailers selling
tobacco to a minor, say something or notify the police. Only a combined
effort can change a community norm.

Springfield High's program deserves kudos for including the parents.
Community studies conducted by Eugene's Oregon Research Institute have shown
that kids whose parents clearly communicate their expectations and set
appropriate consequences for tobacco use are less likely to smoke than are
kids in families lacking such communication. Even parents who use tobacco
themselves can influence their kids not to start. In some cases, parents who
smoke make a more compelling argument than nonsmokers do. They can honestly
tell their kids they wish they had never started.

Children need good role models. Smoking parents can help their kids avoid
addiction by doing everything they can to kick their own addiction. Until
they're ready to quit, they can avoid smoking around their children and
refrain from leaving tobacco products in places where young people have easy
access.

Smokers can help by choosing not to smoke in public. Secondhand smoke is
dangerous. Approximately 800 Oregonians die each year as a result of
long-term exposure to tobacco smoke. As fewer and fewer people smoke in
public places, young people will get the message that tobacco use is
unacceptable.

All concerned citizens can help by observing and supporting tobacco-free
policies on school grounds. Advocate with schools and other agencies to
provide cessation support for youth smokers who want to quit. Compliment
retailers who refuse to sell tobacco to minors. Voice your support for local
policies that mandate clean indoor air for everybody. At the same time, we
encourage empathy for smokers. The majority (70 percent) want to quit, and
almost all of them regret ever having started.

Become involved in local tobacco control efforts. Tobacco Free Lane County
is a coalition working to combat the tobacco problem on a countywide level.
Springfield Together! is focusing on the problem of youth tobacco use in
their community. Call Tobacco Free Lane County at 682-4280 and Springfield
Together! at 747-0571 and ask either of these organizations for information
on how you can help extend to the entire community the spirit of Springfield
High School's tobacco control program.