New-York tribune., 1911-03-24
smoking OF cigarettes by youths Of this

smoking OF cigarettes by youths Of This
country
According TO The United states Tobacco
Journal" the number Of cigarettes pro-
duced and consumed In this country IN q
single recent year is several thousand mill
ion. ON the average every cigarette III
wolves the destruction Of a match. Most
OF this consumption is by youths. The ma
iori,y Of youths smoke. The habit common
ly begins as an apish effort Of the young
20 initiate their elders. The smaiIness ol
the single dose generally leads to It's fre-
aueut repetition. and often to continuity
for hours at time. II thus becomes an
imperious but absolutely artificial necessiy'
Few student gatherings are held without
smoking, and often an advertised attrac-
ton Is tho free distribution Of cigarettes.
Their use tends 10 separate the sexes AT
social functions. They are tme-wasters
smoking IS a purely imaginary occupauon'
Daudet says of two flaneurs: They con-
versed not. neither did they think; they
only smoked" Recent novels ana plays
contain numerous irrelevant and therefore
wastefuI. "a ssaccs as TO smoking. Arrange
ments for scientific meetings provide Tor
smokers The cigarette has invaded
Christian association rooms, church par
lors. and even the sanctuary. II matters
procress I'm their present direction, the up
to.date revised version Of Leonardo ia
vincis famous picture may put cigarette
IA each mouth and replace the halos by
"wreaths of fragrant tobacco smoke
Unlike most personal habits, smoking az
fects not only the perpetrator but all
within a varying radius. Among the most
fundamental OF natural rights Is the right
10 pure air: any infringement is trespass
and an outrage comparable with the use
OF profane or indecent language "ltn'n
hearing OF others entitled to be present.
Smoking seems TO blunt the ethical sense
There are smokers who respect the rishts
of Others. and there are human hogs WHO
arc not smokers: those who are both may
he concisely designated as "smogs'; they
commonly consider their behavior as styI-
ish. so It is--"pigstyllsh.'
School and college statistics seem 10 IN
dicate lower scholarship for cigarette
smokers and q tendency Of the habit 10
stunt the growth and impair the general
! health Indulgence is commonly forbidden
during training" The fire chief Of one
city will not accept cigarette smokers.
Land Is impoverished by the cultivation
OF tobacco and forests are devastated by
the match industry Careessness as 70 the
disposal Of lighted stubs and matches has
caused disastrous and fatal fires. There Is
no female habit at once so needless. 20
costly and 50 detrimental as smoking by
the other sex. Excepting on the tables OF
the wealth., there IS seldom real suffi-
cheney Of cream with family of moderate
size the daily expenditure Of the smoking
members would probably supply the def
cheney Tic enormous annual outlay for
tobacco cannot bc ignored In accounting for
| the high cost Of living in recent years.
Cigarette smoking IS reprobated by hlgh
| officers of tho British army. In case ot
war with another nation equal 10 this IN
other respects. but free from tho cigarette
| habit. We should infalibly bo defeated.
This country simply cannot afford to toll
crate the increase or even the continuance
of youthful cigarette smoking. Whoever in
troduced the cigarette into America merits
tho fate Of Benedict Arnold ! appeal IN
YOU to cease contributing 10 our national
ldcbascment RT-RT g WILDER.