PAGE 2, WEI)NESDAY MARCFI 26, 1980. WHITBY FREE PRESS Region considers wele work program By MICHAEL KNELL Free Press Staff The Region of Durham is considering a proposai that would sec welfare recipients drafted into "service bat- thions" and put to work to earn their money. Under Uic proposai, in- troduced by Oshawa Mayor Jim Potticary, ail able bodied, employable, healthy and single people between Uhc ages of 18 and 30 would be required to work for their general welfare assistance (GWA) cheques. However, Uic proposai did not receive Uic enthusiastic support of regional counicil or specificaliy, the chair- mian of the social services committee. Councillor John DeHart, also of Oshawa, chairman of thc committee said, "It is a motherhood motion," ad- ding that he did not believe that any other level of governrnent would accept Uic idea.' The motion calîs for a joint regional, provincial, federal and local militia (under whose auspices the program is to be carried out) commit- tee to be set up to supervise Uic program. In both defending and seliing his proposal, Pot- ticary said that the idea was well thought out and "Not brought up off the top of My head." He described it as a new tiphilosophy" and "that unless we get a new trend started, I don't Uiink these people will ever get off social assistance." "'They don't wish to be drawing welfare," Potticary said of the people his motion would affect. "They want to do something. " Potticary said that council "àmay hear criticism from the sociaiists" but that the proposal was "the philosophy of the old car - if you leave it long enough it wiil neyer run again. " The long-time mayor of Uic region's largest municipaiity said that he feit Uic region owed these people a chance to work for their living. "Is it a tremendous shame to allow these people to work?" he asked. "The jobs these people can do can con- tribute to the community. " "Let's get these people back to work. " DcHart told council that his department "doesn't have the staff... .to run the program" and that "I wouldn't want my staff to be tied up on the thi ng. " "Philosophy... .that's ail it is, " DeHart said. Support for the idea came from Whftby Regional Councillor Gerry Emm who said "I'support that some at- tempt be made to correct the situation." Councillor Doug Dicker- son of Pickering said that the propsai could be "lbeneficial, espccially to the taxpayers. " "'Let's allow these service battiions to work for the community," he said. Whitby Mayor Jim Gar- tshore asked 'is this a for- ced situation or a voluntary one? " -Whether or flot il is, we would be building up a bureaucracy," he said ad- ding I'regardless of what we do, the other levels of gover- iment don't have thc in- testinal fortitude to do it. " Gartshore also pointed out that there was a "divergan- ce of opinions of what the labor unions think about it.-" A schemne simiîliar to this was tried a couple of years ago in Niagara, Ontario when they put welfare recipfients to work clearing snow for senior citizens. Niagara was forccd to cancel the programn when the workers decided to join a union and demand union wages for their work. The enire proposai was tabled pending a report f rom the social committee which is exprected within the next month. By ANGELA TIBBLES Executive Director Durham Region Lung Assoc. This is Women's Education Week on Smoking - a week in which Durham Region Lung Association hopes ail women will stop and consider what smoking really means to Uiemselves, and to their families. Women have no inbuilt protection against any smoking-related diseases, and recent statistics shôw that Uiey are deveioping al Uic cardiac and respiratory diseases previously con- sidered maie risks. An epidemic of chronic bronchitis and emphysema has aiready begun among women, and Uic female iung cancer death rate is now ex- pected to surpass that of breast cancer within three years. Recent studies at the University of California suggest a link between smoking and breast cancer, and a Swedish study has abos associated it wiUi cervical cancer. Oral contraceptives and smoking can be a hazardous combination, with women who use both being 22 times more likely to sustain a subarachnoid hemorrhage (a common fatal type of brain hemorrhage). On the "iighter" side, its been recentiy demonstratcd that women smokers become more wrinkied, at an eariier age, than their non-smoking sisters. So are cigarettes worth it? Can the temporary security, com- panionship and brief 'oral gratification thatý most smokcrs give as the "lbenefits" of smoking, reaily compensate for smeliy clothes, tobacco breaUi, stained fingers, wrinkies and cariy iung disease? With so many weli documented facta on Uic dangers of smoking, why do over 30 percent of Canadian women continue to place their lives, and Uic stability of Uieir families, in jeopar- dy? Perhaps Uie answer lies in history. The highest proportion of womnen smokers occurred among women bora between 1931 and 1940. By 1966, 45 per cent of Uiis generation werc regular smokers. These were Uic mothers of todays teenage girls and young women - Uic group in our society which is smoking harder and faster than ever before. Studies have shown that children whosc parents snioke (particularly mothers> generaily become smokers Uiemselves. The message is clear. Today's young- women must stop smoking, or this destructive pattern of lear- ning by example will be passed to our next generation. The image of today's "new woman"' is one of indepen- dence, physical fitness and overaîl control of her future. Cigarettes create dependen- cy, destroy physical fitness and overall control of her future. The use of tobacco, or any drug, can have no place in the truly liberated woman 's lifestyle. If you decide that Uthe n is right for your liberation from cigarettes, cal Durham Region Lung Association at 723-3151, for your free guide to quitting. Do the best for yourself and your faily - make Women's Education Week on Smoking your week to quit. Jaycette's Spring Baby Photo Contest The Whitby Jayccttes arc sponsoring a Spring Baby Photo Contest, as a ways project for their organizatiori. OnJy Uic first 50 snapshots, 3" x 5", one child per photo, wÎll be ac- ccptcd. Babies under thre ycars oid by December 31, 1979 are eigibie for entry. Entry forms can be picked up at Whitby and Brookiin banks and Manchester Credit Union in Whitby and Brooklin. Ciosing date for entries is April il. A dispiay will be set up in front o! "Whitby Mal Florists" in Uic Whitby Mal (Thicksoli Roadi froni April 17 to May 1, 1980. Voting will be donc by the public during mail hours. Containers will accompany each photo and a penny dropped in the container registers one vote. The top three babies wiii be presentcd with bank savings certificates. First place winner wiil also receive a gift from Eisa's Chiidrens Things, at an awards night May 5, Whitby Library, program room, 7:30 p.m. The procceds from Uiis project wiil assist the Jaycettes with their com- munity service projects. Women's Education Week on Smoking