Tobacco Documents Online

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20510 September 1, 1987 Mr. Ken Aubel 19 Alpha Park Highland Heights, Ohio ~41~3 Dear Mr. Aubel: Thank you for contacting me in opposition to a ban on smoking in airplanes. Although I appreciate having your views on this issue, I support efforts to further restrict smokin~ on airplanes and other public conveyances° The link between cigarette smoking and several serious illnesses -- including such deadly diseases as lung cancer, emphysema and heart disease -- is undisputed. The federal government has played, and must continue to play, a major role in alerting the public to these hazards so that Americans can make informed decisions regarding the use of tobacco. Several federal efforts, including the banning of television advertising of tobacco products and the inclusion of health hazard warnings on packages of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco, are proving successful in reducing smoking and, thereby, the incidence of smoking-related sickness. However, smoking continues to be a major health danger, and I believe the federal government can and should do more to reduce this threat. I am very concerned about th~ danger that "passive smoke" can pose to non-smokers. The latest scientific evidence indicates that non-smokers are harmed by the smoke from others. The Surgeon General's December 1986 report, The Health Conseqg~nces of Involuntary Smoking, concluded that involuntary smoking is a cause of disease in healthy non-smokers. Consequently, I have cosponsored legislation which would prohibit smoking in commercial airplanes, buses, or trains. Senate bill, S. 51, the "Prohibition of Smoking in Public Conveyances Act of 1987", was introduced in the Senate on January 6, 1987, and it is my hope that this ban on smoking in public conveyances will be passed by the 100th Congress. I regret that we disagree on this matter and appreciate having the opportunity to explain the reasons for my support Ti0045-0989

Page 2 of this restriction on smoking. Thank you for taking the time to write. Best regards. JG/db S~ ncerely, United States Senator Ti0045--0990