At 02:45 PM 5/22/97 -0400, Bob Hosh wrote:

<snip>
>Are there any comments from list members about Mr. LeGresley's assertions
>that the high smoking rates in Eastern Europe were a legacy of the
>communist system?

His assertion that those governments used cheap cigarettes to "pacify" the
population  seems far-fetched.  As an ex-smoker, I can say that nicotine
does  not stupefy the user.  It was never that good.

Some people have claimed that agents of the American government flooded,
and continues to flood, the slums and ghettos with narcotics.  Which
stories are you going to believe?

Joe Szalai

At 10:47 PM 5/22/97 +0200, Miklos Hoffmann wrote:

<snip>
>Maybe, he said somewhere somewhere something to this effect. On the
>list, I cannot remember readig anything like this from him.
>
>MKH

Maybe this will help.  For your edification, here is what Amos wrote:

At 08:27 AM 5/21/97 -0400, Amos J. Danube wrote:

>I am happy to answer your question, Joe. I am an ex-smoker.  I was a
>heavy smoker for 38 years, two packs a day. I have quit cold-turkey ca.
>10 years ago. And I was  very surprised how  easy it was to quit.  This
>was so because I *wanted* to quit. But I have quit for economic reasons
>not because I was concerned with my health. You see,  Joe,  I don't be-
>lieve the *propaganda* about smoking.
>Smoking doesn't  cause anything,
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>genetic propensity  and smoking may.

He wrote that on the 21st.  That was just ....umm .. yesterday.  So, what
was your point, Miklos?

Joe Szalai

Joe Szalai wrote:
>
> At 11:03 AM 5/21/97 -0400, Eva Balogh  wrote:
>
> >At 10:24 PM 5/20/97 -0400, Joe Szalai wrote:
> >
> >>And now I'm puzzled why you and Amos J. Danube think that my comments about
> >>banning tobacco are out in left field.
> >
> >
> >        I guess, because it is so impractical. ESB
>
> Well, your "practical" suggestion of "launching an anti-smoking campaign"
> will ensure that many more will die of lung cancer and other ills related
> to smoking.  Perhaps you agree with Amos, that tobacco doesn't cause anything
.
>
Maybe, he said somewhere somewhere something to this effect. On the
list, I cannot remember readig anything like this from him.

MKH

****************** CALL FOR ACTION ****************

Priority:      normal

Background:
  A new success for the Hungarian Lobby: According to an announcement
of Al Gore and Madeleine Albright the new foreign policy of the US
government will deal with the protection of natural treasures all over
the World. This policy is regarded as an integral part of national
security.
  The result of this new foreign policy is that the USA will open 12
regional offices in the 12 environmentally most endangered areas in
the World. Thus, our next goal is to reach that one of these offices
will establish in Gyor (Northwest of Hungary). This step would show
the American care for the Danube to the whole World.

What to do:
  Please help to persuade the Clinton, Gore and Albright to open one
of the planned offices in Gyor. Feel free to use the attached form
letters.
   IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THE POLITICIANS FIND THOUSANDS OF LETTERS IN
THEIR MAILBOX. PLEASE ACT!! Please SEND EVEN SNAIL MAILS. These are
more effective.

e-mail address of President Clinton:


e-mail of Vice President Gore:


e-mail of the Secretary of State Albright:


*************************************************************
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
letter to Clinton:
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

<date>

The Honorable Bill Clinton
President of the United States
The White House
Washington, D.C. 20001
(e-mail: )

RE: Establishment of environmental office in Gyor (Hungary)

Dear Mr. President:

Please consider the city of Gyor in Hungary, as one of the 12 new
regional environmental hubs to be established by the State Department.
This would show your interest in the survival of the natural treasures
of the Szigetkoz wetlands, which evolved from Europe's only inland
sea-delta and survived since the last Ice Age.

The Szigetkoz Wetlands are endangered since Slovakia illegally
diverted the Danube river, depriving Hungary of her natural resource.
The result is devastating environmental damage.

Respectfully yours,

<Your name, address, title>



xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
letter to Gore:
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

<date>

The Honorable Al Gore
Vice President of the United States
The White House
Washington, D.C. 20001
(e-mail: )

RE: Establishment of environmental office in Gyor (Hungary)

Dear Mr. Vice President:

Please consider the city of Gyor in Hungary, as one of the 12 new
regional environmental hubs to be established by the State Department.
This would show your interest in the survival of the natural treasures
of the Szigetkoz wetlands, which evolved from Europe's only inland
sea-delta and survived since the last Ice Age.

The Szigetkoz Wetlands are endangered since Slovakia illegally
diverted the Danube river, depriving Hungary of her natural resource.
The result is devastating environmental damage.

Respectfully yours,

<Your name, address, title>


xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
letter to Albright:
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

<date>

The Honorable Madeleine Albright
United States Secretary of State
United States Department of State
Washington, DC 20520
( E-Mail:  )

RE: Establishment of environmental office in Gyor (Hungary)

Dear Madame Secretary:

Please consider the city of Gyor in Hungary, as one of the 12 new
regional environmental hubs to be established by the State Department.
This would show your interest in the survival of the natural treasures
of the Szigetkoz wetlands, which evolved from Europe's only inland
sea-delta and survived since the last Ice Age.

The Szigetkoz Wetlands are endangered since Slovakia illegally
diverted the Danube river, depriving Hungary of her natural resource.
The result is devastating environmental damage.

Respectfully yours,

<Your name, address, title>

Friends,

   I guess it is time to add some to all this "simplistic approach to
one's
health".

Joe Szalai wrote:
>
>
> Well, your "practical" suggestion of "launching an anti-smoking campaign"
> will ensure that many more will die of lung cancer and other ills related
> to smoking.  Perhaps you agree with Amos, that tobacco doesn't cause anything
.

   How come suddenly you are on the same page with the official
propaganda?
ABC News had a special  just yesterday  on the question  what the public
is
being told about health issues. As soon as an article appears in any of
the
medical journals, the media is in a catch 22 situation. If the media is
not
reporting the so called findings, it will be vilified.If it becomes part
of
the news, somebody is going to run with it to extremes. If you have
watched
carefully all the medical "discoveries", somebody always goes into a
frenzy
about it. The following day "it" will  kill you in 2 seconds flat.  And
two
years later it will be discovered that there is nothing to it,
quietly.Many
of the  leading medical  scientist have  become very  cautious  about
their
findings and stay away  from the media.  So one should take  all that
stuff
with a grain of salt. There are very  few things in life  that will kill
by
themselves, in cluding toboco.
   Eva has clearly stated that she disagrees with me on this topic.  So
you
are pushing the wrong cart again, Joe.

> Smoking has become a class issue in North America.  Today, most smokers are
> less educated and make less money than those who don't.  In Hungary this
> isn't the case, ... yet.

   Now you are in your element,Joe. This is nothing but pure Marxist
malar-
key. It was reported in today's paper that there is a big increase in
teen-
ager's smoking cigars. What "class issue"?

> The tobacco industry is predatory.  It offers the user very little but,
> potentially, takes a lot - like the users health and life.

    It is always  easy to blame one  person or entity,  and it gives you
a
way out - your responsibility is transferred to an "industry".  So you
can
wash your hands,  you are not responsible for anything.  You can  even
sue
in the courts for negligence, although it was you who made the decision.

> The tobacco industry uses millions of acres of prime farmland to produce
> something that nobody really 'needs', while millions go hungry each day.

   The only problem with  this scenario is,  that nobody else wants to
grow
a tidly on that prime farmland. If you haven't noticed yet,people are
leav-
ing the farms in hordes. So this is another Marxist malarkey.

> Who's being impractical, Eva?

   This remark is not even worth bothering with.
   Sorry folks, I got going here. So I'll let you go,
                                                      Amos