European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - October 10, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Magazine prof. Thomas Schelling in so years people will still be smoking but much  by Arlene Levinson associated Pressw Hen smoker professors returned to their of fico two years ago or the fall semester at Harvard s John f. Kennedy school of government in Cambridge mass they discovered they had become overnight victims of a coup d ashtray. The school s own Institute for lha study of smoking behaviour and policy had struck. Those who chose to puff away inside the buildings now were forced to Retreat to a Small room a smokers Purgatory with Glass Walls and hard chairs. The Small wiry professor behind it All Thomas Schelling himself a reformed smoker was remorseful about the smoking Section but not for Long i thought it was cruel and unusual punishment but a student said Don t be Hasty. Because of it i gave up smoking and so did my Friend " everyone knows smoking tobacco is unhealthy. But the Way in which a habit once considered sophisticated was transformed Inlo a taboo is the kind of social change Schelling As director of the smoking Institute. Wants to understand and harness Schilling s Mission i want to help smokers he says by this he moans persuading the 55 million american smokers to Stop. The original emphasis was on what can we find out about the problem of quitting thai will help people quit when they want to says the 67-Yearold economist and self taught Behaviourist. Now we re focusing More on policy issues Schelling made a prediction smoking will disappear slowly. In 50 years people will still be smoking but much  while other research groups examine the health effects of smoking Harvard s is thought to be the Only one considering the deeper meaning of the habit. There in t anything like it anywhere else in the world says or. Elena Nightingale adviser to the Carnegie foundation of new York a major ins dilute sponsor. The idea of such an Institute was born about six years ago when Schelling expressed fascination with the cessation of smoking since world War it by scores of Middle class Middle aged men he promoted meetings on the subject convincing Harvard president Derek Bok among others that a More ambitious Effort was needed to make any difference. Since in opened Jour years ago this Small obscure research Center a Harvard University already has puff Rebuff reached into More Distant Halls than the smoke free ones under its roof. Operating a a continuing arum the Institute is Host to a study group of 20 to 40 interested health government and psychological professionals who meet monthly to discuss and Exchange the latest research. In addition at any Given time some 15 assorted physicians psychiatrists students of government policy health workers sociologists and the like attached to the Institute conduct Independent research. This could be anything irom writing a social history of smoking to studies on the effectiveness of hypnosis in breaking tobacco addiction. The work of the Institute is so compelling for smokers especially that when a psychologist was running a study of smokers at a veterans administration Hospital she asked that its name not be published in a newspaper Story about the Institute. Publishing the name in the past caused a Rush of volunteers thai inundated the Hospital. The purpose of the Institute on an annual budget of $600,000, is to prompt outside research and then disseminate the results. In the words of executive director John Pinney a former three pack a Day smoker and one time chief of the Federal office of smoking and health. Some results snuffing out much of the smoking culture in the . Military in 1986 by contributing to then defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger s decision to order aggressive anti smoking efforts irom Tho Pentagon to Boot Camp. Helping persuade Congress in 1935 to keep the 16 cent Federal excise lax on Cigar ties instead of halving it As planned. Assisting foreign countries trying to resist . Tobacco companies eager or new markets finding in a study that found teen agers unlike monday october 10. 1988 adults can Start and Stop smoking Many times thus prompting health educators to shift their approach from prevention to intervention. Prompting smoking restrictions in Massachusetts government office buildings and vehicles after a Chal Schelling had with gov. Michael Dukakis at a Harvard get together. Investigating life in a nearly smoke free world through pollsters who work in a Laboratory in the City of Cambridge which last year instituted Ana of the country s toughest anti smoking Laws. Once upon a time smoking was considered stylish. Tobacco companies even claimed it offered health benefits. What we be seen in this country is just Aboul Tho most remarkable voluntary change in behaviour anywhere scholling says. Institute researchers have tried to fathom this change and smoking behaviour especially. They Are asking for instance Why some people never smoke and Why others de despite knowing the risks. And Why is ii that most people who try to quit can but hard Core smokers can t part irom cigarettes no Mailer How hard they try the Institute is also eager to know How to prevent teen agers from taking up smoking since there is evidence that smoking is Seldom begun past the age of 20. According to Institute figures there has been a steady decline in smoking since the 1950s. In 1949,44 percent of adults smoked. In 1986. The latest available figures the proportion of adult smokers was 26.5 percent Institute figures show. Among people still smoking most try to Stop. Just four years ago Only a dozen major corporations restricted smoking to Avert fires and contamination of their products. Today More than half the Fortune 500 companies limit smoking on the Job. Chief among the influences on this sea change is that after decades of concern about the life shortening effects of smoking the office of the . Surgeon general in 1964 made the risks official when it linked smoking to lung disease. Since then americans have become More self conscious about their health taking up exercise and improving their diets with Tho gusto of the old world explorers searching for the Fountain of youth. It is not Only concern for personal health that is crushing Iho National smoking habit. Peer pressure has a lot to do with ii. There is some moral opprobrium the Temperance notion that if you have to smoke you have to suffer the stars and stripes Page 13