The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-06-13

You come 10 them II IS only an open
question for the doctors to decide wheth.
er all tobacco in them is not injurious.
In the paper. which is made from rice
straw, and is so delicate that it scarcely
leaves perceptible sign of ash when
lighted, and has no smell when burning,
there is not enough deleterious sub
stance to do any harm. But those are
not the kinds sold to boys ordinarily
You have already been told about chop
ped stump or shoddy cigarettes? Sc
l supposed. Well, there are others
even worse They are made of tobacco
that has been moulded or otherwise
damaged and condemned, doctored
over, frequently drugged to give flavor
and strength. and rolled m an imitation
rice straw paper They must be hurt
full. | don't sell them, but know that
a majority OF dealers do, for they ara
cheap.
''Of the kinds sell none retails be-
low thirteen cents bunch of twenty,
and from that up to twenty cents.
There is not enough profit in that kind
by selling at cent each to be anything
of an object, and they cannot be sold
for less without losing money. But
You can get atretail plenty of cigarettes,
not made of old cigar butts either, for
eight or even seven, or as low as five
cents bunch. Those punches the lit
tie shopkeepers break open, and the
cigarettes they sell at the rate OF two,
three, or perhaps four for penny
to boys, or rather to children, | should
say. Do you know that there are lots
OF candy and toy shops in the neighbor-.
hood OF public schools where large
quantities of those cigarettes are sold in
that way? Well, there are. would
heartily favor a law prohibiting the sale
OF cigarettes, or tobacco in any form, to
boys under fifteen years of age, if it
could be enforced. Time enough after
! that age to cultivate the habit. | under
stand that there is such law in New
| jersey, but do not know how effectually
it is enforced. ] fear ii would be diff
cult to make it operative on the small
shopkeepers, who are the worst offend
,ers, Any law against cigarettes should
take in chewing tobacco too, for that is
| quite as commonly used by boys, is as
| much of nuisance to others, and is as
harmful, or perhaps more so, to the
boys themselves 1t wouldn't be bad
scheme, If it could be carried cut, to
empower every adult citizen to cane on
sight any boy caught smoking" :.
A prominent physician said: II ain
glad to know that something promises
to be done TO restrain the use of tobacco
among boys. 1t is an evil the magni-
tude of which not many persons seem to
recognize. The use OF nicotine to ex-
cess is very injurious to adults, but in
tnhely worse for youth. 1t stunts
them mentally and physically. And ]
am rather inclined to think that it in
iures their moral perceptions also. An
interesting fact, by the way, was
brought to light a few months ago in
the course of medical investigation
into the effect Of the tenement house
cigar factory system. II appeared that
in no case where parents had beer
1 working in tobacco and exposed to its
| fumes from before their marriage, die
they have more than three children
| generally one or two, and very Otter
none. Such as they had were weak
lings. The Inhalation of the smoke
common among cigarette smokers, i:
the worst feature of that use Of tbs
weed. ~. ]. Sun.