, 1879-06-05
Look After the Boys.

Tobacco smoking among DoyS IS be-
coming so common ~ hardly to excite
remark. 1t is not unusal to see boys
under ten years of age smoking cigar,
cites on the public streets. THIS habit
of cigarette smoking among children Is
getting alarmingly prevalent A boy OF
twelve was asked the other day II ne
was not too young TO smoke. son, no.
I've smoked for three years. And hls
appearance confirmed his words, for he
was certainly miserable specimen Of
boy Cigarettes are so cheap that al
most any boy can find means to buy them
They can be smoked, too, without pro-
ducing that degree of nausea which often
results frsm the first pipe or cigar, and
so the habit of cigarette smoking is east
ly acquired by children. The practice of
cigarette smoking is growing rapidly
among men on this coast. 1t was
trick easily caught from the old Spanish
population. AT best, even among adults,
the habit is confessed to be injurious.
The worst of cigarettes is the frequency
with which they can be smoked. Their
devotee is putting away from morning
till night
Whatever may be thought of she eff
fects of tobacco upon adults, no one can
doubt for a moment that its use by chill
dren is most injurious. 1t is bad enough
for men to 20 about this beautiful world
drugged, as james Parton has it, but
what is the world coming to if children
are to practice the vices of adults4
Young America comes on very fast in
these days. Little boys often swear
large oaths nowadays. The small boy
wipes away his mothers kiss as he leaves
home for school, and stops at the first
corner to light his cigarette or vile
three-cent cigar. A wretched set Of
men these infant smokers will make.
The best medical authorities agree that
the use Of tobacco at an early age tends
to dwarf both mental and bodily growth.
Its pernicious effect upon children is so
unquestionable that it is not necessary
to dwell upon this point That the evil
practice is prevalent ard rapidly grow
ing among the boys of this community
no man of observation can deny. 1t re-
mains to point out some remedy for this
mischief.
San Francisco is cursed with hood
lums. Children Of respectable parents
come in contact with them more or less
at the public schools, and are taught
their vices. 1t is safe to say that no
schoolboy in this city, over 10 years old,
is entirely ignorant of any vice which
children can practice Girls oftener
escape contamination, but if boyEin
these days practices no vices, his i'm
munity is not due to ignorance nor to
lack Of bad example. What culpable
neglect, then, it is to avoid the respon-
sibilty Of warning children in regard to
things every day made familiar to them
in the talk Of their playmates.
If parents and teachers would take
pains to explain to boys the injurious
effect that smoking must have upon
them, the well disposed among them, at
least, would be in less danger of con-
tracing the habit. And it must be
borne in mind that the American boy is
cunning. No doubt there are boys in
this city who have been smoking for
years without the knowledge of their
parents Besides the proper exercise of
parental authority, it is well to give boys
some inducement to prevent the forma-
tion of bad habits. A little money
every month, the promise of watch, or
gun, or other gift, as contingency, will
often keep tobacco out Of his mouth.
Put an ambitious boy on his "honor
bright" and hold out some hope Of re-
ward, and you can do wonders with
with him. Keep children out OF the
streets after dark, and especially warn
them away from the Chinese quarter of
the city. Shocking stories are related
Of the vices into which children are in
ducted by the depraved men and women
of the Asiatic hive.