June 1, 2000

MODESTO - As patrons were walking out of Brenden Theater Wednesday afternoon, members of the Stanislaus County Health Services Agency and Doctors Medical Center Foundation were there to greet the patrons and send out a serious message: smoking can be hazardous to your health.

Wednesday was "World No Tobacco Day" and staff from the Tobacco Education Department of the Stanislaus County Health Services Agency and the Doctors Medical Center Foundation gathered at Brenden Theaters as movie goers were greed by Mr. Butts who handed out a special smoke analyzer for the theater's customers as they exited.

The questionnaire asked a variety of questions, from if there was smoking involved and what the movier goer thought of how Hollywood made smoking look sexy.

Keyes resident Tagried Pervaiz, 17, a non-smoker, said there is too much glamorizing of smoking in today's movies.

"Smoking is not cool," Pervaiz said. "There is some peer pressure and it's either 'you hang out with them or not.' All of the main (actors and actresses), mostly everybody does it (smoking.)"

Dr Robert Johanson, medical director at Emanuel Medical Center, feels that Tongue Cancer should not be overlooked when it comes to smoking.

"It can be caused from both smoking or chewing tobacco," said Johanson, who noted that there is a greater risk of 15 percent of getting cancer from chewing tobacco. "It's all about image. Tobacco companies aren't stupid; they are in the business for a reason."

Johanson has seen cases over the years of young victims showing early signs of cancer.

Angie Rosales, 30, a Keyes resident who works at Brenden Theaters, experimented with smoking at times in her life but was convinced by her husband, Claudio, to stop five years ago.

"It had gotten extremely bad from when I was a teenager," said Angie Rosales. She feels that old actors like Marlon Brando made smoking too glamorous in the 1970's. "He doesn't make it look glamorous."

Delhi resident Martha Del Real, 26, who works as a community health worker for Stanislaus County Health Services Agency, is trying to get her husband to stop smoking cigars, though he only smokes on social occasions with family and friends. But with a six-month old son, Adrian, around the house, she hopes that the message will come clear to keep the old stogies away.

"It's hard for me," Del Real said. "I tell them not to smoke in the house, but it's hard for them not to do it. It's even harder because when they (family and friends) see me nagging them and they remind me it's because where I work".

"They even say I'm old fashioned. I see a lot of this stuff on the Spanish soap operas. I see a lot of teenagers smoking a lot of cigars. What's even worse is I saw one woman who was pregnant smoking on the Spanish shows."