
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, August 1, 1995                   TAG: 9508010031
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: 6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

SUPPORTERS, OPPONENTS OF PROPOSAL SPEAK OUT

Dr. Brad Rodu, an oral pathologist at the University of Alabama, is creating a storm with his proposal that smokers cut their health risks by switching to snuff or chewing tobacco.

Here are some reactions from advocates and opponents.

ADVOCATES

``Brad Rodu has performed an extremely careful cost-benefit analysis of the use of smokeless tobacco to quit smoking. His study deserves serious consideration by the scientific community.'' - Dr. Michael Grossman, professor of economics, City University of New York; program director of Health and Economics Research, National Bureau of Economic Research.

``Dr. Rodu shows real courage in taking on the anti-tobacco establishment with this credible, logical and eminently doable stop-smoking, stop-dying program. The politically correct police are coming out in droves to bash this guy.'' - Dr. Dean Edell, medical journalist.

OPPONENTS

``Substituting one poison for another is hardly the answer.'' - Barbara Moles, associate executive director, American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons

``It's not a great substitute. Some of our most famous people have died of mouth and throat cancer from smokeless tobacco, including Gen. Ulysses S. Grant. Would you rather have your lungs rot out or your face fall off?'' - Dr. John Muth, director, El Paso County (Colo.) Department of Health and Environment

``We caution against this kind of thinking. Smokeless tobacco is highly dangerous to your health. We'd rather see complete restraint in terms of tobacco use.'' - Susanne Wheeler, director, American Cancer Society, El Paso/Teller, Colo., unit.

- COLORADO SPRINGS GAZETTE-TELEGRAPH

by CNB