European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 18, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse Friday october 18, 1985 the stars and stripes Pago 7 minorities less healthy government study says Washington a Blacks and other minorities arc less healthy and die younger than whiles inc government has reported but it said Many of the estimated 60,000 Early deaths thai occur each car could be Prevc Nice. Health and human services Secretary Marearet m. Heckler in releasing inc report wednesday said there is a pronounced and stubborn disparity Between the health of Whites and thai of Blacks and other minorities which has not apprcciab1 towed in the years thai statistics have been kept. She said about so percent of the Early deals result from cancer heart disease and stroke alcohol and drug abuse diabetes infant mortality accidents or murder. But Many of those Early deaths perhaps most of them could be prevented by knowledge and change in personal habits she said. Lead to Early detection Early treatment and fewer deaths she said she intends to shift 53 million in available funds to help implement the report s recommendation for greater education programs to Alert minorities of the risk they face and to encourage changes in health habits. But heckler also said she would propose no big new Federal program to confront the problem saying it was unnecessary and because of budget problems unrealistic. I do not believe that Money is the answer she said. I do believe that knowledge. As Well As the targeting of re sources that already exist will very significantly narrow thai by heckler said she told the Federal task Force thai compiled overweight by sex and race in percent by age in White men Lack men Cheapo to Bune graphs Swoob to Neah slam the report in Advance thai a massive new Federal program could nol be one of its recommendations. The restriction originated from the White mouse she said but she added thai inc while House order dealt with All programs not minority health specifically. She said the task Force was her initiative and i chose to implement it within the guidelines traditionally Given to the department and in general at n Lime when our dollars arc finite and our deficit is she said she also believes a new program is unnecessary. All the Money one could appropriate would not change this Gap As it has nol been changed for inc time that statistics have been kept she said. ". Progress depends More on education and a change in personal behaviour than it docs on More doctors More hospitals or More she cited government efforts Over the last 20 ears to Alert Black americans to their increased risk from High blood pressure. As a result she said stroke mortality among Blacks dropped 51 percent from i a to i k2. And heart disease deaths dropped 42 percent. Still the task Force found that Blacks continue to die of those causes at a higher rate than Whites. The task Force estimated that there Are More than 18,000 excess deals among Blacks due to heart attack and stroke each year compared with the number of deals that w Ould occur if their health was on Par with Whites. The task Force also estimated there were nearly 11,000 excess deaths from murder and Accident excess deaths from cancer 6.000 excess deaths from infant mortality 2.100 excess deaths from cirrhosis of the liver and 1,850 excess deaths from diabetes among Blacks altogether the task Force report said about 42.5 percent of the deaths among Blacks were when Reagan Speaks scanner buffs listen Washington a the same radio scanners thai millions of americans use to listen to police and fire transmissions also can eavesdrop on some of America s Best kept secret including president Reagan s decision to use . Warplanes to intercept u jetliner carrying the palestinians who hijacked an italian cruise ship. With Lime of the essence Reagan and Secretary of defense Casper a. Wein Berger decided nol to Wail for a secure link Between their separate planes last thursday. They discussed the final plans of the Navy pilots Mission on an open radio circuit and were overheard by a scanner Buff. While House spokesman Michael guest said air Force one and Weinberg or s plane had the equipment necessary to provide coded communications but it would have Lakin time for operators to coordinate their systems. While House Deputy press Secretary Larry up cakes said tuesday the president wanted to save time by not using these cure communications system. Both were aware it was nol a secure Call guest said of the radio Conversa Tion which took place while Reagan was on his Way from Chicago to Washington and the defense Secretary was resuming to Washington from Canada. Guest said the two men would have been Able to talk around the sensitive details of the military Mission which called for the interception of an Fly pair plane carrying the hijackers of the Achille Lauro. Without an encryption device the conversation was available for reception by anyone with a radio tuned to the proper frequency. For about $350, anyone can buy inc technology required to Monitor such frequencies. Frequencies used by the White House arc Well known to reporters who cover the president whose airwaves code name is Weinberger s handle is Fin sen. Patrick j. Leahy Dot said president Reagan has called him from air Force one and occasionally he has been warned that they arc on a Telephone line that is not secure. In those cases Leahy said he has been asked to refer to the president As Rawhide. Presidential air to ground plume Calls usually Are made on air Force radio frequencies to a switching cell or Al the White House where they Are connected to the regular Public Telephone network. In 1973, president Nixon was Over heard talking with his chief of staff. Alex Ander m. Haig jr., at the time of the yom kippur War in the Middle . Among Oiler tilings overheard and revealed in thai conversation was Haig s code name. cold Onnist Jack Anderson reported an of Che Ord i9k2 conversation Between Haig then Secretary of stale and Reagan during the i falklands War. There is no Law against monitoring those signals but a $10,000 Fine and a year in jail can result for anyone convicted of passing on the information. In the Case of the Weinberger Reagan Call the brother of the Man who monitored it called lbs news bul the net work did nol broadcast the Story. The White House never has pressed for prosecution of cases of eavesdropping on air Force one Telephone Calls. Federal communications commission a Fricia James c. Mekinney said. People using radio frequencies to trans Mit Telephone messages be they business executives using a cellular car Telephone or White House officials have Lorea i a thai they May be intercepted said Bob Hanson the executive director of the scanner association of North America. Hanson pointed out that even without a scanner people could stumble across a private conversation since radio traffic is mixed in parts of the airwaves used for other transmissions such As television. For example he said there is a radio space Between television channels 5 and 6, and some channels above 13 have been Given Over to radio operations in Large cities. Directories of frequencies used by police departments and taxi cab companies arc sold in the same stores that sell the scanners. Other lists of frequencies used by the Fri and the Cia Are passed around by scanner buffs. 2nd skin cancer on Reagan s nose confirmed Washington up the White House acknowledged that president Reagan had a second Patch of skin cancer removed from his nose last week and that it was not leftover cancer cells from a surgical procedure performed july 30.the clarification offered by while House spokesman Larry Speakes was accompanied by a Conlin cd refusal to disclose additional details of the checkup Reagan under went last month to assess his recovery from cancer sur matter arose As first lady Nancy Reagan made an unannounced trip to Bethesda naval Hospital for her spokeswoman Elaine Crispin called a previously scheduled Colono Copic examination inc same Type of procedure thai led to inc discovery of a cancerous growth in her husband s lower intestine. Crispin said mrs. Reagan had her Colon checked and everything is s Home and she has been Given a clean Bill of health Crispen was a final step of her physical exam Inavon Crisp in said of the colonoscopy. Explaining that some less had earlier been Given to the first lady in the while House medical said mrs. Reagan 64. Did not have any specific medical complaint and has been in Good health. She said that mrs. Reagan had no symptoms such As bleeding that caused her to have a Colon examination. President Reagan was operated on last july 13 Al the naval Hospital for removal of a cancerous polyp from his Colon. Reagan determined to avoid the controversy Hal flared during his first Boul Wilh skin cancer disclosed last Friday Hal he had some additional work done inc previous Day to remove cells Lacr found to have been cancerous. The while House Laler refused to specify whether the additional work described by Reagan had been to re move cells nol found during the july 30 procedure or involved a second cancerous growth. Speakes said wednesday a second growth slightly adjacent to the first had been removed. Reagan identified both As basal cell carcinomas the most common form of skin cancer and one most often caused by to the episode underscored the conflict Hal has developed Between the news Media and the while House since Rea Gan Underw Cal surgery july 13 for removal of the two Inch cancerous growth and about two feel of lower incs a follow up examination last month the while House said Only that Reagan had been judged by his doctors to be "100 Perchem recovered from surgery. There was no disclosure of inc less performed or the results. When asked for a formal statement of White House policy on the disclosure of information about Reagan s medical examinations Speakes replied. Well Tell you when he s going Well say what the results on the previous occasion he added. The results were in the Normal he has refused to be More specific. White House officials have identified mrs. Reagan As the person most responsible for the guarded treatment of details regarding her husband s health. Mrs. Reagan the daughter of a neurosurgeon Wilh a firm belief in the confidentiality of the doctor pal enl relationship is known to believe reporters pried too much into the preside of s Ireat mint for Colon cancer. New . Envoy to Greece Athens up the new . Ambassador to Greece has presented his credentials to president Christos . Robert v. Kellcy replaced Mon Eagle a learns As ambassador
