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James E. Katz, Ph.D.
JimKatz@scils.rutgers.edu
Board Member, New Jersey Group Against Smoking Pollution
(NJ GASP).
Professor, Communication, Rutgers University
Currently he is investigating human rights issues as they
intersect with public health policy and freedom of expression.
He is the author of more than 40 peer-reviewed journal articles
and his works have been translated into five languages and
re-published in numerous edited collections. Dr. Katz joined
GASP, a tax-exempt organization that informs legislators
of harmful effects of cigarette smoke, in 1986. NJ GASP
executive director, Regina Carlson and Jim Katz began a
protracted multi-year effort which led to Newark airport
to go smoke-free. One of their major objectives is to have
kids lead smoke-free lives. Dr. Katz claims most of bar
closing stories are anecdotal and have been solicited by
the tobacco industry and that there are no data to support
the contention that the CIAA will harm the economy. This
is an issue about rights. The American people have been
lied to, documents have been destroyed, all of which have
demonstrated the trickery of the tobacco industry-at a great
cost to human rights. He has no objection to someone smoking.
He has an objection to the people who have to suffer because
evidence was suppressed and manipulated.
Barbara McConnell
bmc449@earthlink.net
President of the McConnell Group
Legislative lobbyist for the New Jersey Licensed Beverage
Association
Represents New Jersey Licensed Beverage Association. Barbara
claims smoking bans have a tremendous impact on the state.
She says that New Jersey will feel the economic impact of
the smoking ban, more so than New York, where there are
fewer bars and taverns, and thus less outdoor smoking. She
claims business has increased in Northern Jersey because
of this. Barbara says the majority of the research is directed
at larger restaurants that can afford to lose the business
or make adjustments. Small bars and small restaurants do
not have the extra room and have to rely on expensive ventilation.
Barbara maintains if this legislation becomes law, it will
put a large number of these bars and taverns out of business,
and result in employee layoffs.
Dr. Fred M. Jacobs
Chairman of New Jersey Breathes
Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs at the Saint
Barnabas Health Care System
Dr. Fred Jacobs is an expert in pulmonary disease and is
active in smoking prevention. Dr. Jacobs quit smoking cold
turkey in 1969. He is the Chairman of New Jersey Breathes,
an independent, collective voice for tobacco control convened
by the Medical Society of New Jersey. He says the public
is aware of the dangers of active smoking, but not aware
of ETS. To a large extent, most people see it as a nuisance
and unpleasant. The educational challenge is to convince
the public that ETS is a major public health issue. Another
major issue, according to him, is that Big Tobacco has unlimited
resources and New Jersey has been armed with only 10 million
dollars. One of the reasons tobacco is so difficult to fight
is that it has been a cultural icon for so long and is considered
cool and sophisticated. Big Tobacco has also been couching
the debate in terms of consumer rights. He says it is a
public health issue, not about individual rights. In issues
like this, "the private privilege ends where the public
peril begins." He believes that smoking cessation programs
are useful, but it is more important to get to kids before
they even start. One way to stop tobacco would be to have
the FDA regulate nicotine. If FDA regulates nicotine, which
has been proven to be harmful, it would put tobacco out
of business for good.
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