European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 26, 1977, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 8 the stars and stripes monday september 26, 1977 some medical personnel deplore such facilities As the cigarette machine for local employees in the snack bar of the 97th general Hospital in Frankfurt. Is Schuettler doctors complain Price is right curbs Are few smoking so easy in the military seventh in a 10-Day series of articles by staff writer Bob Hoyer does military life encourage smoking almost without exception doctors and nurses responsible for the health care of service personnel say it does. As they see it the lure to smoke is both social and economic. Their chief complaints cigarettes Are almost Given away in military commissaries and exchanges and smoking policies in military hospitals tend to be too relaxed. Health officials at american communities in Europe Point out that Many com Manders among them some heavy smokers simply Don t want to get involved in the smoking Issue. The Way i see the problem the people in High places really Don t  said it. Col. Martin l. Dresner urologist and Champion of a nonsmoking group at the army s 97th general Hospital in Frank Furt. When someone does care and does try to do something about protecting our health an addict in higher places counters that  maj. Richard Bell a surgeon on the 97th general staff is convinced thai the army tacitly supports smoking by making cigarettes available at such Low costs. Tax free cigarettes now sell at military commissaries for prices that run from $1.70 to si.95 a Carton with prices dropping As Low As $1.50 a Carton at special sales. Commissaries also Cany pipe tobacco. At military exchanges the Price is 82.85 to $2.95 a Carton in addition to cigarettes Exchange outlets Stock a full line of Tobac co products that includes snuff chewing tobacco and pipe tobacco and cigars. Col. Charles Queen chief of aeromedical services at the Rhem Mam air base. Points out that cigarettes now sell in the commissary for the same Price they sold for in the depression years of the 1930s, when Steak was 18 cents a Pound. For some reason we seem to be less concerned with the pollution of the at  Queen a former smoker said. Subsidizing the Sale of cigarettes to services when we have to provide for the health care of service personnel is. I think about the most stupid thing i be Ever  Dresner said. "1 could understand Selling cigarettes to the Wai saw pact sol Diers but not 10 our own  Why do they sell cigarettes in the Exchange " asked maj Douglas r. Hoenes. A doctor on the medical staff at the air Force Hospital in Halm. Germany Why Are they not taxed capt. Mark Hodges a company com Mander with the 1st in. 4&h inf. Gelnna sen Germany says the argument that Money is saved by not smoking holds Little meaning for the military smoker because cigarettes Are so cheap m the commissars and Exchange a three pack a Day smoker until he col lapsed while running and was forced to quit. Hodges Points Oil that the Habu was casting him Only a few dollars a month at the Price he was paying for cigarettes they ought to at least take cigarettes out of the commissary he said. They might continue to handle them in the Exchange but they ought to boost the  air Force wife Belen Cardonita ram Stein Germany finds the lure of smoking irresistible at today s prices. If i had to pay 50 to 60 cents a package i might not smoke at All she said. Col. Arthur Terrill commander of the army s 2nd general Hospital Lan Stuhl Germany does t consider Cost the deter mining Factor for most smokers. Cutting costs would t do that much col. Arthur Terrill maj. Sherry Brahman Usan Hospital staffers proud of clean air rules smokers soon get the message when they enter the air Force Hospital in Hahn Germany. If they Don t already know it. They Are in formed politely but firmly that smok ing is tightly regulated throughout the Hospital. Unlike most military hospitals where ashtrays Are plentiful and the smell of to Bacco hangs in the air. The Hahn facility is about As smoke free As a Hospital can be from col. Alfred k Cheng Hospital commander Down to enlisted medics. Staffers Are proud of their clean air reputation. Cheng a flight surgeon who has been observing the harmful effects of smoking for Many years has two ironclad rules no cigarettes Are sold in the Hospital and Visi tors can t smoke smokers there Are two on the medical staff of i Are permitted to smoke in their offices but never in front of patients. All rooms of the Hospital Are designated As smoking or nonsmoking areas for health reasons and for fire safety smoking is prohibited on the wards " Cheng said. Ambulatory patients May smoke in designated areas. Patients confined to bed must have permission of the nurse in charge and May smoke Only when an adult attendant is present. If the attending physician gives orders there will be no smok ing no smoking will be allowed. I think the rules Are fair. I am not a Dic Tator. The rules came out of executive committee decisions and there were smokers on the committee when the Deci Sions were  Cheng said. Cheng and members of his staff try to persuade smoking patients to give up the habit particularly those who Are suffering from respiratory ailments. We have staff members and patients who Are allergic to smoke. It is Only reasonable to keep smoking to an absolute minimum in a medical facility Cheng said. I be had patients thank me. I be had them come to me and say this is the first time they be been in a Hospital and not knocked out by  Good he said. I quit cigarettes when i was a thoracic surgery resident. It s a matter of education. When you see first hand what cigarettes do to the lungs then you Are More Likely to  while the Cost of cigarettes is something health officials can do Little about smoking policies at hospitals is something they can influence. Policy varies from Hospital to Hospital but generally speaking cigarettes Are available at the larger facilities. It. Col. Manfred r. Nelson chief of the clinical Medicine division in the Safe surgeon s office Ramstein Points out that cigarettes were banned in some air Force hospitals after the . Surgeon general s report linked cigarette smoking to the High incidence of degenerative diseases. But a great howl went up and the policy on smoking was relaxed under pres sure Nelson said. Col. Bruce l. Fariss internal Medicine consultant for the army s european com Mand Heidelberg says smoking policies Are set by Hospital commanders. But he added that army wide policy forbids smoking in patient areas. Maj. Sherry Brahman radiologist at the 2nd general regards service policies on smoking As contradictory. It has always amazed me that you can t smoke in the commissary and the Exchange but you can smoke in the Hospital where we re dealing with health she said. In explaining the policy at the 2nd Gen eral Terrill Points out that smoking is limited to the open Bay waiting areas and All patients who Are not bedridden must go the these areas to smoke. There is a standing Rule that prohibits smoking in All conference rooms my own conference room included Terrill said. As for smoking at the various comics that s up to the doctor in charge. For a number of years now the red Cross has not been passing out cigarettes on the wards and the Hospital no longer accepts cigarettes As  at the 97th general a group of doctors is trying to get All smokers on the medical staff to give up the habit. But tobacco out lets at the Hospital include a cigarette machine in the no smoking area of the snack bar. The machine it was Learned is justified As a convenience to Hospital employees who do not qualify for tax free american cigarettes sold at the snack bar Cash Register. At the air Force Hospital in Wiesbaden a spokesman referred to smoking policy As fairly  patients Are not allowed to smoke in bed. And Hospital personnel Are expected to refrain from smoking in the presence of patients the spokesman said. But smok ing is permitted in All waiting  tomorrow the conflict Between smok ers and nonsmokers