The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1905-05-25
Cigarette Fiends in Public Schools.

PuDiN SNuOOi PupllS lids dIOuScQ Tie
Board of Education to action and a
special committee has been appointed
to take steps to put an end to the
habit. 1t is recognized that the task
will be a difficult one, but educators
declared yesterday that something
must be done. The use of tobacco in
cigarette form had, it was stated, TAX
en- a hold on the pupils to such an
alarming extent that it must be stop
ped
This, it is said, would be done by
the adoption of stringent rules II
was stated that tn enforcement OF
these rules may eventually lead to
the expulsion of quite a number OF
pupils.
For som time past teachers and
principals have been giving the mat
ter very careful attention, but they
are unable to cope with it without
an order of the board. At the re-
quest of Superintendent Brooks the
principals have reported to him the
number of boys in their schools, who,
Ito the best of their knowledge" use
tobacco, along with their standing in
their classes.
They report, DR.. Brooks states, g..
076 boys of the public schools use
tobacco, and that in nearly every case
these boys stand below the average
of their classes. "On account of the
difficulty of obtaining correct data
on such subject" he adds, 1 have
no doubt that the actual number us
ing tobacco is far in excess OF the
number reported. The reports give
the statistics for the different Sec
tions of the city, and the variation
of figures is something surprising and
we'll worth studying.
What steps should be taken to
check the use of tobacco among the
boys Of our public schools is a ques-
ton upon which it is difficult to reach
a conclusion. In several States laws
are being enacted prohibiting the sale
or even the gifts of cigarettes to min
ors. The object of the public schools
is to educate intelligent and virtuous
citizens. To do this the schools must
not only train the minds of their. pu>
pills, but must also look after their
physical and moral interests. Care
should be taken that they do not ac-
quire habits that will undermine their
physical constitutions. impair their
intelects or weaken their moral char
acter.
"One OF the most injurious habits
found among many boys in our large
cities IS that Of cigarette smoking. 1t
weakens the heart, Injuries the diges-
ton, stunts the growth, and worst
of all vitally affects the morals OF
youth. This statement is proved by
the testimony of physicians and by
carefully prepared statistics. In the
great universities all over the world
it has been found that the students
who do not use tobacco stand high
er intellectually and morally than
those who do. Both the military and
the naval authorities of the United
States have given the question their
closest question, and no student at
Annapolis or West Point is permitted
to use tobacco in any form. The
French Government, as the result OF
a prolonged inquiry, has prohibited
the use OF tobacco in all schools un-
der its control.
Of the $4,000 boys in the public
schools it was estimated yesterday
that 10000 use cigarettes. 1t was az
so said that of the 5000 students at
the University of Pennsylvania more
than two-thirds are cigarette smok-
ers. A student stated that he would
be constantly below the mark in plac-
ing the number of boxes of cigarettes
smoked at 5000 per day. 1t is calcu-
lated that the pupils in the public
schools use at least 10000 boxes a
day.