CAPE NO-SMOKING TRENDSETTER

On Tuesday, Gov. Mel Carn~ahan signed a bill into law that should provide a smoke-free atmosphere in Missouri's schools. The new law prohibits smoking inside a public school, aboard a school bus, or at a day-care center when children are present.

The change will have little effect on many area schools, who have previously implemented no-smoking bans. The trendsetter in this region was the Cape Girardeau Public Schools, which adopted its two-phase smoking ban in February 1990. In the fall of that year, student smoking was prohibited, with the familiar smoking cage eliminated. The ban broadened to include staff and all visitors by the fall of 1991.

The local ban was the brainchild of board member Ed Thompson, who deserves credit for leading the way. It's not enough to say smoking is bad. This ban, locally and statewide, demonstrates that educators mean to send an appropriate message to young people.

Cape Girardeau should be proud of its trendsetting efforts. This new law should go a long way in helping to douse teen-age smoking.