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                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, January 16, 1992                   TAG: 9201160383
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A-10   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

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BOWLED OVER BY FUMES AT LANES; BAN SMOKING

EVERYONE has the right to breathe clean air, especially while participating in a sport. When the American Cancer Society stated that breathing secondary cigarette smoke can be nearly as hazardous to your health as smoking itself, airlines, restaurants, hospitals, offices and public buildings put a ban on smoking. I think it's time the bowling establishments across the country took similar action.

Spending just three hours at the lanes on a league night will cause your eyes to burn, your lungs to ache and your clothes to smell so foul the dog won't come near you when you get home. If you think this is an exaggeration, take a trip to any of the local lanes and see for yourself.

I believe the American Bowling Congress and every bowling facility has an obligation to its non-smoking league members to make available at least one night a week for us to enjoy the great game of bowling in a healthy and uncontaminated environment. Until all public bowling lanes can be converted to this way of thinking, I've converted my last spare. JERRY S. DELONG ROANOKE

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