European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 14, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Monday May 14, 1990 the stars and stripes Page 7 new York apr a Parade of comedians actors and High kicking Rock ettes prompted Cable television viewers and others to pledge at least $4.7 million to help the homeless. A comic Relief �?T90,�?� telecast by Hob on saturday was staged at radio City music Hall the first of the four specials to originate from new York. The previous three shows in los Angeles raised More than $8.7 million. The $4.7 million figure did not include pledges from West coast viewers. The average pledge was $44.70, up More than $ 11 Over last year said Bob Zmuda president of comic Relief and a producer of the show. A people care More and they Trust us. They see the dollars working in their communities a Zmuda said of the increase in the average pledge. Home Box office a  Channel did not scramble the signal As it does for Normal programming allowing affiliates to carry the show for Basic Cable subscribers. Comedians Billy Crystal whoops Goldberg and Robin Williams were hosts of the event opening the show with impersonations that poked fun at some of new Yorkus celebrities. After taking a few Steps with the Rock ettes Crystal and Williams a in White tie a and Goldberg a in a Rock cites costume a asked viewers to contribute by calling a toll free Telephone number. Throughout the show celebrities reminded viewers a comic Relief a its no joke a referring to the plight of the homeless. Comedians from left Billy Crystal whoops Goldberg and Robin Williams join the special a comic Relief 90�?� to spotlight an awareness of and raise funds for dealing with rockette americans in opening the homeless problem five hour live to . Of c. To contribute to anti abortion Campaign by the new York times the knights of Columbus will provide the bulk of the Money that the nations roman Catholic Bishops will use for a National Campaign against abortion. The Catholic fraternal group said in an announcement released sunday that it would contribute $3 million toward employing a major Public relations firm and a polling firm in the anti abortion Campaign. The Bishops have estimated that the entire Campaign would Cost $5 million. The announcement by the Board of the 1.5 million member organization partly answered a question raised in the extensive debate after reports of the Bishops plan a month ago who would  for it the announcement also provided a glimpse into the discussions surrounding the Bishops decision. The plan involves employing the Public relations firm Elton and the Wirthlin group a polling con Hill amp Knowlton Cem known for test marketing political positions. Contracts with the two have not been signed although sundays announcement by the knights indicates that final agreement is near. Russell Shaw a spokesman for the knights said that even before the Bishops plan was made Public the organization had made Clear in conversations with Cardinal John of Connor of new York its willingness to provide Money for the National anti abortion Effort. Of Connor is the chairman of the Bishops committee for pro life activities. Critics of the Bishops decision to finance a National Campaign against abortion have argued that Money for such an Effort should not be diverted from other Church concerns at a time when dioceses Are closing parishes and schools and the demand for charitable services is growing. Spokesmen for the Bishops have replied that the Money would be donated specifically for the antiabortion Campaign and would not be otherwise available for Church activities. Despite the Early conversations with of Connor. Shaw said the knights of Columbus did not develop the idea of hiring experts to help shape Public opinion on abortion. A Church official said the idea had first been suggested by diocesan directors of anti abortion activities last summer but it picked up momentum after of Connor was elected head of the pro life committee in november. Committee staff members in Washington reviewed firms with reputations for shaping Public opinion and chose two to make presentations to the 11-member committee on March 19. The Church official said. The committee s staff was in frequent Contact with o Connor in new York he  smokers Cut lives by 18 years study says by the Washington Post men who smoke cigarettes throughout their lives will die nearly 18 years earlier than men who never Start according to a new study of the smoking habits of All adults who lived and died in Erie pa., Between 1972 and 1974. The difference is far longer than most other estimates of the time smoking cuts off a Many a life. It also is one of the first such attempts to Catalon the effects or smoking in an entire Community Over a specific time period. Earlier projections by the american cancer society and the veterans administration reported differences Between seven and nine years in life expectancy Between continuing smokers and nonsmokers. A the data from the present research indicate that a 30-year-old Man who smokes will reduce his life expectancy on average by about one fourth a wrote 5 the authors of the study published in the a current Issue of contingencies the Jour a Nal of the american Academy of actuaries. The report directly compared people who never Start with those who never Stop. Most other such studies attempt to blend in the millions who have smoked but quit. The relationship Between smoking and disease has Long been beyond question. Experts say smoking kills nearly 400,000 people in the United states each year a accounting for More than one of every six deaths in the country. Estimates of the amount of time smoking takes off a persons life have normally ranged Between five and 12 years depending on How much they smoke and for How Long. But it has never been easy to pin Down exactly How much smoking reduces an average life Span because so Many factors can contribute to heart disease cancer and stroke the leading causes of smoking related deaths. In part the difficulty reflects the fact that most studies examine Only death certificates. Even when someone Dies of heart disease and was a heavy smoker researchers cannot be absolutely certain that the death was caused by smoking. Often factors such As obesity High blood pressure High cholesterol and smoking Combine to kill a person. This population based study shows a graphic and undeniable difference in life expectancy Between lifelong smokers and those who never smoked. According to the report the average 30-Ycar-old Man who smoked could expect to die at the age of 64. The 30-Ycar-old who never started could expect to live to be 82, All statistics were adjusted to account for such causes of Early death As homicide and car accidents. The differences get smaller with increasing age. Through extensive Telephone interviews with relatives of 4,394 people who died and with similar interviews of a randomly selected group of 3,914 adults who lived in Eric from 1972 to 1974, the authors were Able to compare health status directly with smoking. The researchers divided the groups into smokers non smokers and former smokers. An analysis of the data for women smokers versus non smokers was not reported at this time they used population information provided by the state health department plus Federal health statistics to project average life expectancies for the different groups. They could then compare those averages with what they had discovered in their research. A the data certainly argue that those who do not smoke or quit smoking Early can expect to live much longer than people who never  said Charles e. Chittenden an Atlanta actuarial consultant who wrote the current paper along with . Miller director of studies on smoking and Robert j. Myers former chief actuary for the social Security administration. As men get older the smokers die in far greater numbers. Among men Between the Ages of 50 and 54. For example. 38 percent were lifetime smokers meaning they started when they were teenagers31 percent never smoked and 20 percent had quit. The rest smoke pipes or cigars by the age of 85 Only 5.3 percent of the living men were lifetime smokers and 37 percent had never smoked. Nearly 48 percent of those still alive were former smokers