It began with a keen layman of the Cardiff, S. "Vales, church. Thrilled with the Review and Herald reports of what was happening in the States, he wrote to America for further details of the Plan to Stop Smoking, with the idea of promoting it here. Once in possession of the facts, he inspired the Cardiff church board to support him in his approach to the mission committee, which enthusiastically endorsed the plan. Both board and committee proved their interest by providing money from their funds to make the scheme workable.
About this time Pastor B. F. Kinman, secretary of the temperance department of the British Union Conference, was made aware of what we were trying to do, and he generously decided to put the weight of his department and experience behind us, so that our venture could become the pilot scheme in the British Isles, from which experience could be gained and the plan could spread throughout our territory. His department made their financial contribution, and so the stage was set for one of the most encouragingly successful drives of recent years.
Right from the beginning the Public Health Department of the Cardiff City Council has been behind us, and they have helped in every way possible. They couldn't have been more enthusiastic if it had been their own campaign. Following our interview with Dr. Anderson, the assistant medical officer of health, the department's new lecture room was put freely at our disposal; the chief administrative officer, Mr. Williams, was assigned to help us; and Mr. Goodwin, the public relations officer, set to work with a will to provide the publicity we needed. Even the Parks Department did their bit by supplying the flowers to decorate the lecture room! We could not have had better cooperation than was granted to us.
The publicity drive opened with an interview by one of the reporters of the Western Mail, resulting in a fourteen-inch report in his paper. He followed this up with eighteen inches three weeks later, and in this article he announced that the editor was assigning one of his ace reporters, Peter Kane, to take the course and to report his progress daily. This Mr. Kane did brilliantly. Naturally skeptical at first, he warmed to his task as the days went by and announced at the end that he was through with smoking once and for all. So impressed was he with the facts presented, that on the Monday following the clinic, with the full encouragement of his editor, he wrote an article for the leader page, running to some fifty-six column inches, setting out the dangers of smoking. He concluded his article by saying: "Now I know the facts, I shall never smoke again."
Shortly before the class began, Gareth Bowen, ace reporter of the South Wales Echo, and contributor to the news in the Welsh program of the B.B.C. TV service, registered to take the course. At the same time he arranged to report his experience to his TV audience each evening, and this he faithfully did. His final broadcast in this connection came on Whit Tuesday evening, when he announced his complete victory over the weed and strongly supported the principles for which the class stood.
Further TV coverage was given us by T.W.W., the independent television network that covers Wales and Southwest England. On Friday evening, May 31, an excellent account of the proceedings, consisting of comment and interviews with the lecturers and students, and lasting for eight minutes, went out on their popular "In the News" program at the peak viewing time of 10:15 P.M. Mr. Cole, himself a non-smoker, was interviewer and producer of this program.
To complete the publicity, the B.B.C. Welsh Home Service played its part. Before the class began, an announcement was made in the Perspective program guide, telling of what we were doing and encouraging folks to join. On the opening night Mr. Bevan, of the Cardiff B.B.C. office, attended as an observer. He meant to come for only one night, but he was so intrigued that he followed the course right through, and on Friday evening at seven-forty-five put out a fine fifteen-minute report featuring again our lecturers and students in the Home Service for Wales. He commented, "I came as an observer; I stayed as a patient; I am now a nonsmoker."
So great was the public demand for help of this nature that after two advertisements had appeared in the press we had to ask them to cancel all future ads, as we had more names than we could handle. Instead of one class, we were forced to conduct two each evening, and in all, eighty students participated. We have now a waiting list of forty or fifty for our next class.
Each evening's program consisted of an introduction followed by one of the films One in Twenty Thousand, Cancer by the Carton, or Tzme Pulls the Trigger. Pastor Kinman handled the psychological aspects of the problem, and Dr. Mera, a member of our Cardiff church, lectured on the medical implications. To conclude each meeting the control booklet pages were distributed and briefly reviewed. These pages contained detailed instructions about diet and exercise and rest, which the students were expected to follow daily, and we are extremely grateful to our American brethren who made these important documents available to us. Group therapy included class discussion and the partner system ("buddy" system, as it is called in the States), which is such an important part of the plan.
Of the eighty students who began the classes, almost seventy continued right through, and of this number fifty-five to sixty were successful in stopping smoking by the end of the five days. Among those successful were the journalists and radio men indicated above; health visitors and inspectors; two university examiners; an accountant; a physiotherapist; two doctors' wives; a schoolteacher; two managers and a secretary of one of these executives; plus many others rarely contacted in our day-to-day work. All came as strangers and went away as friends.
In closing we would like to pay a special tribute to Dr. Mera, who supported us so enthusiastically. Without his help the scheme would have been impossible. Not only did he do everything we asked him but he devoted a week of his annual holiday completely to this plan. He won the hearts of all present, and in spite of the language difficulty (he comes from Hungary) he contributed immensely to the wonderful victories won.
God certainly blessed our joint endeavors, and we look forward eagerly to more of these classes being conducted, with trained personnel, throughout the British Isles. Please pray that God will bless each student and teacher taking part, that the results will be eternal.
