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

DATE: SATURDAY, September 9, 1995                   TAG: 9509110059
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A7   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

SMOKING IS NOT FOR THE VERY YOUNG

THE SUBJECT of tobacco has occupied many of your editorials. As a physician who has specialized in cancer, I cannot be other than sympathetic to your viewpoint.

However, some of the letters to the editor, as well as articles and editorials in other prominent journals such as The Wall Street Journal, National Review and the obscure New Republic, have missed the point. They have concerned themselves with the use of tobacco by adults whereas the major focus should be with teen-age smokers whose centers of addiction are much more susceptible.

As for me, I may offer to help adults quit, but I believe they have a right to smoke as long as it is not in my space - or to use a biblical term, not in my face.

What we are concerned about is smoking by teen-agers. There is nearly universal acceptance that these young people should not smoke. Even the tobacco companies say so. Nearly all smokers say so.

The objections voiced by The Wall Street Journal and others is that the obligation is on the parents to convince their children not to smoke. So it is. But we must remember that the police, the courts and the government itself are but extensions of ourselves. We need all the help we can get to teach our children right and wrong.

We need to enforce the regulations that are already in place. No selling to minors. No distributing to minors. Tobacco-sales outlets should be licensed, and their failure to act according to the law enforced with cancellation of licenses or fines.

Pictorial advertising of tobacco, whether in ball parks, glossy magazines or billboards, should be prohibited. It already is on television.

We will hear the cry that this is unconstitutional because it impinges on free speech, but, for public-safety reasons, free speech is already prohibited in airports and theatres under a clause of public mischief.

Adults don't need ads to find tobacco. What greater mischief is there than bringing harm to our children?

President Clinton's idea, however, to declare nicotine a classified drug would be a mistake. We don't need a sledgehammer to kill a poisonous spider.

MARVIN N. LOUGHEED, M.D. ROANOKE

Regency Room ranks with the best

I FEEL compelled to rebut the Sept. 1 letter to the editor from Enny Feldstein, ``Hotel's service has gone downhill.''

Since 1947 when I stayed at the Hotel Roanoke on my honeymoon, I have only had the pleasure of dining there occasionally, but a friend and I dined in the Regency Room on a recent Saturday night.

We had two waiters who gave us constant, solicitous service. They were friendly and courteous.

A wide range of entrees was offered that would delight the most discriminating palate. The dinners we chose benefited gourmet preparation.

As a bonus, we were treated to the music of the very talented Tony Haworth trio. Many of the diners enjoyed special requests played by the trio. The superb food and service we received complemented the tasteful elegance of the dining room.

I have dined in some fine dining rooms from New York to Key West, including the Homestead and the Hawaii, to name a couple. In my opinion, the Regency Room is as good or better than most of those.

DONNA D. SALE ROANOKE

Responsible youths are hanging out

KUDOS to Mary Bishop for her well-written Sept. 4 article (``Somewhere to Hang'') on the youth who frequent the Roanoke City Market. She has proved to the public that I and my friends are not bums without a future.

I am a full-time student at Virginia Western Community College. I am working toward an associate's degree in liberal arts, and two of my classes are honors courses. I also have a part-time job, which I have held for more than two years.

On Thursday nights, I perform open-mike stand-up comedy acts at the Roanoke Comedy Club, after which I like to stroll down to the Market Square to mingle with the crowd.

If a needy person comes along while I am there, I try to help that individual as much as I can.

As you can see, not all of us are bad apples. Most of us have responsibilities as young adults, and we act equally responsible when we are downtown. This is more than I can say for the so-called clean-cut crowd that staggers from one bar to another in a drunken stupor.

Perhaps the people who stereotype us should give us a second opinion.

FREDERICK L. DONAHER, III ROANOKE

by CNB