Tolstoy has called it the worst of all intoxicants. This verdict of that great man should command our attention and respect. He had freely indulge in the use of tobacco and alcohol in his early days and was familiar with the harmful effects of both. I must admit, how ever, that in spit of this, I cannot talk about the evils of tobacco with the same authority knowledge as in the case of opium and alcohol. But I can certainly say that I am not aware of a single advantage occurring from the use of tobacco.
Smoking is an expensive habit.
I know of an Englishman who used to spend five pounds, i.e., seventy-five rupees on tobacco every month. His monthly earning was twenty-five pounds, so that he smoked away one fifth of his monthly income. Tobacco smokers become callous and careless of others' feeling. Non-smokers generally cannot bear the smell of tobacco smoke, but one often comes across people in railway train and tramways who just go on smoking, heedless of feeling of their neighbors. Smoking causes salivation and most smokers have no hesitation in spitting anywhere.