MPR’s Gary Eichten reports on efforts by some residents in the city of Monticello to get community to not smoke. It has been named the ‘D-Day’ campaign.
The campaign was organized by Lynn Smith, who was publisher of the Monticello Times.
MPR’s Gary Eichten reports on efforts by some residents in the city of Monticello to get community to not smoke. It has been named the ‘D-Day’ campaign.
The campaign was organized by Lynn Smith, who was publisher of the Monticello Times.
GARY EICHTEN: If the Marlboro Man were to ride into Monticello today, he would probably get run out on a rail. It's D-Day in that central Minnesota community-- the culmination of a four-week campaign to get the town's residents to quit smoking. And today is the day.
The campaign was organized by Lynn Smith, who was publisher of the Monticello Times-- a small family run weekly newspaper. He quit smoking himself 17 years ago, and today his wife Margaret explained why they think everybody else should quit, too.
MARGARET MARIE SMITH: D-Day has a twofold objective-- one to encourage smokers to consider quitting by documenting the health hazards of smoking, and, two, to emphasize the basic right of non-smokers to breathe air unpolluted by smokers in public places.
GARY EICHTEN: So far, 291 people have pledged never to smoke again. There are 1,700 in the town, all of them urged on by Mr. Smith's weekly editorials. Mrs. Smith gave us some other reasons.
MARGARET MARIE SMITH: Mostly, I guess, because maybe they need a reason. And maybe this is a little support from one another. I mean, if you need support to quit-- being a non-smoker myself, I guess I can't really feel the reasons behind it. But my husband was a smoker, and he has quit many years ago-- 17, in fact. And maybe it takes a non-smoker really to know why you want to quit.
GARY EICHTEN: Well, as a non-smoker, why do you think people should quit smoking?
MARGARET MARIE SMITH: Well, I know it would be much more pleasant for me. I suppose when you're eating or sitting next to somebody, it is objectionable. Never really thought of it that much until it starts getting pointed out to you.
GARY EICHTEN: Mr. Smith was a smoker for 17 years, and says he hasn't had a cigarette since. We ask his wife how he did it.
MARGARET MARIE SMITH: He just plain quit. He just decided way back when the first cancer scare started coming out. And decided that he was going to quit, and he did. And he was a heavy smoker.
GARY EICHTEN: So far, all seems to be going well with the D-Day campaign, Don't Smoke Day campaign, with Mrs. Smith assuring us that the community has rallied to the cause.
MARGARET MARIE SMITH: I think it's been real fine support. All the places are posted today that it is no smoking day. And as they brought the signs around this morning, I think there was no objection to the people. They know it. The mayor is behind it, of course. And so it's been real. It's been a real interesting campaign.
GARY EICHTEN: And what if somebody lights up today?
MARGARET MARIE SMITH: Well, they're on their own. I mean, there's no policing of it.
GARY EICHTEN: I see.
MARGARET MARIE SMITH: Probably those that have signed the pledge and are going to see somebody else smoking, they probably are going to do the policing themselves, I would think.
GARY EICHTEN: Mrs. Margaret Smith in Monticello. By the way, the Smiths plan a follow-up survey in three months or so to find out how many of those 291 people need to quit again, this is Gary Eichten.
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