ANTI-NEON PAPER CAMPAIGN A WINNER AT THE UO!!! STUDENTS GET ATTENTION AND PEOPLE STOP USING NEON PAPER!

During the winter, this group of students took a "guerilla advertising" approach to the anti-neon campaign by initially assigning everyone different buildings throughout campus and regularly stamping every piece of neon, goldenrod or heavily-dyed paper with a NEON KILLS logo. The hope was to create a stir around campus and spark a question in the minds of students and teachers : Neon kills what?

After five weeks of stamping, handing out stickers and chalking the campus street with their message; the NEON KILLS crew organized a forum in the amphitheater of the student union where they began to unleash the answer to the constantly asked question. Information on the effects of the chlorine bleaching process and its byproduct dioxin was passed on and students were told to put their neon and heavily-dyed paper in the low-grade recycling bins. They could also sign a pledge not to use the paper and educate others on the matter if they desired.
At the beginning of the Spring term, there was a noticeable difference in the reduction of the poisonous paper on campus. During the ASUO elections, none of

the candidates choose to use the paper for promotional purposes and the campus print shop no longer carries neon or goldenrod stock due to lack of demand (created through this campaign). The NEON KILLS group continues to have tabling at events like Earthday and at other planned demonstrations. A letter writing campaign has also spurred out of this campaign in order to educate those who are using the paper outside the campus community, which will in turn spread the word even further.

ANTI-NEON CAMPAIGN HOLDS PUBLIC FORUM A group attempts to spread word of heavily inked paper's ill effects. By G. Jaros - Oregon Daily Emerald A campaign to educate students about recycling began last term in an advertising class and flowered into a public forum in the rain Tuesday. NEON KILLS, made up of nine advertising students, held a forum in the EMU Amphitheater in hopes of educating students and the public to the dangers caused by neon, goldenrod and other dark-hued heavily inked papers. The group chanted, "Neon kills!" and, "Put it in the low-grade bin!" over a loudspeaker. The group decided to carry on its recycling campaign independent of the class. They focused on the problems caused by neon and other heavily inked papers to the recycling process and the environment, said journalism senior Siamak Fooladi, who helped organize the campaign. These papers pose a threat to the environment when industrial chlorine is used to bleach the ink out of the paper pulp during the recycling process, Fooladi said. The process creates dioxin, a long-lasting heavy metal that causes cancer and other health problems. "Dioxin is one of the most dangerous chemicals there is," he said. "Dioxin has been linked to breast cancer and disruption of the estrogen system, which leads to the growth of cancer cells."

Dioxin is made up of various metals known for their stability and longevity, Fooladi said. The compound is easily passed through water. Once it reaches a river, it affects fish, and by eating affected fish, people also ingest dioxin. Dioxin is stored in fatty tissue.
The dangers of dioxin are well known to state agencies that regulate water quality. Jared Rubin, a toxicologist for the Department of Environmental Quality in Eugene, said dioxin is one of the more potent carcinogens known and is linked to cancer, hormonal disorders and other problems.
"There is nationwide effort to utilize chlorine-free technology in the making of paper, and that is primarily to reduce dioxin emissions," Rubin said.
Oregon has taken an active role in reducing hazardous waste and the use of toxic substances.
In April 1998, Gov. John Kitzhaber issued an executive order directing state agencies to "reflect a preference for paper products that have not been bleached with chlorine" and to "avoid all colored papers." The order has caused some confusion at the University Copy Center.

"The governor's order says 'all colored paper,' and we are trying to find out what that means, and we are trying to figure out what policy the University will take," said J.R. Gaddis, Manager of Printing Services. The copy center still offers goldenrod and other colored paper because people still ask for it, but they are trying to discourage its use, Gaddis said.

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