Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1913-05-08
BOYS AND CIGARETTES.
Evening Wisconsin.

Evening Wisconsin.
The question of whether cigarette
smoking is good thing or bad thing
whether the practice Of cigarette
smoking is one for him to cultivate or
avoid presents itself in a practical
form to every boy. Doctor Duncan G.
Miner Of Chicago has put together the
following interesting summary Of his
own reasons and those of others why
boys should not smoke cigarettes
Sir Hudson Maxim, noted as a man
of science and inventor, has made a ire
mendous indictment of the cigarette.
He says: IF all boys could be made to
see that with every breath of cigarette
smoke they inhale imbecilty and ex-
hale manhood that the cigarette is a
maker of invalids, criminals and fools
not men lit ought to deter them some.
The yellow finger stain is an emblem of
deeper degradation and enslavement
than the ball and chain
Thomas A. Edison, another famous
scientist and inventor regards cigarette
smoking as a direct cause Of degener-
acy. He says; "Acrolein is one of the
most terrible drugs in it's effects on the
human body. The burning of ordinary
cigarette paper always produces aero
lein. That is what makes the smoke
so irritating. | really believe that it
often makes the boys insane / can
hardly eXaggerate the dangerous nature
Of acrolein, and yet that is what man
or boy is dealing with every time he
smokes an ordinary cigarette.
Luther Burbank, the plant wizard,
says; Several of my young aequaint-
ances are in their graves who gave
promise Of making happy and useful
citizens; and there is no question what
ever that cigarettes alone were the
cause Of their destruction. No boy liv-
ing would commence the use Of cigar
rettes if he knew what useless, soul
less, worthless thing they would make
of him,
Judge Ben Lindsey, who has done so
much for boys, regards cigarette smok-
ing as one of their greatest perils.
Judge Burke of the Chicago munich
pal court says: 4 cannot believe that
our law and times would tolerate for a
single moment the cigarette evil, if the
desolation which it works could be full
~ realized"
The teachers in our schools and coll
leges are practically unit as to the
destruction wrought in the minds and
bodies as well as the morals Of the boys
by cigarette smoking.
Many banks and business houses, as
as we'll as many corporations, refuse to
employ cigarette smokers
Athletic leaders and managers Of
baseball clubs are more and more con-
WINGED that the cigarette and good sport
do not harmonic.
In Wisconsin, as is well known, the
sale of cigarettes and of the materials
for making them is under the ban of
law which was enacted for the purpose
of protecting the youth of the state.
There is reason to believe that the law
is ineffective, because not rigidly en-
forced. Even the law regulating the
sale of cocain went unenforced in Mil
waukee until the present district attor-
ney undertook a vigorous campaign
against it's violators, in which he is sup
ported by the moral sense Of the COM
munity. 1t is more than doubtful
is unlikely that public sentiment would
be as strong in supporting prosecutions
and endorsements Of heavy penalties
for violations Of the anti cigarette
statute, as for violations against coke
dope,
But it behooves every intelligent boy
90 heed the body of evidence against
cigarette smoking by the young, and to
consider whether in justice to his par
ants and to himself, he can afford to ac-
luire the habit of smoking tobacco in
any form before he has attained the
age Of twenty-one?
CUTTING OFF PRIVILEGE.