Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1913-04-09
PRIZE ESSAY.
Pupil of Johnston High School
Won First Prize In The
Cigarette Essay Con

The following essay won first
prize in the essay contest recently
conducted by the Womap's Chris
tian Temperance Union, being
written by Miss Rachael Simmons,
of Johnston upon the subject Why
/ should not smoke cigare;s."
/ should not smoke cigarets
because they are so harmful to the
user. They not only effect them
mentally and physically but NOR
ally. The cigarette Injuries and de-
grades the user morally. One emf
nent educator has said, l have yet
to find boy however honest or
truthful he may have been, who could
and would tell the truth after using
cigarettes" We take for an exam
pie of how the cigaret users are
treated, a merchant advertises for a
hoy to work in the store where
she honest responsibility is, and
hundreds of boys possibly would an,
swer the advertisement if 1t were
not for this great question, which
is do you smoke cigarets?' Now
why does th- merchant ask this
question? because he knows that q
user of tobacco is untrustworthy,
that he cannot afford to work on IN
that position and he will never be
competent and trustworthy enough
TO advance .As we have started from
the beginning with the, boys, We will
now take an instance of man ap-
plying for job on the railroad or
other jobs where itrequires steady
nerve and strong mind and one
, among the first questions is, Do
you use tobacco in any form" and
if he is user of the cigarette he is
not accepted by the employer. They
most always ask this question be-
cause they know that the using OF
eigarets causes the nerve to be-
come unsteady and not only does it
cause the nerve to become unsteady
but it clouds the brain. The using
of nicotine in any way almost al
ways leads one to indulge in strong
drink because the user thinks that
it auiets the nerves and stimulates
the body. When man wants to en-
list in an army, he can not stand
the examination on account Of weak
eyes and it is most always the case
that cigaret are the cause of bad
eye sight and when they begin
practice in the military academy
their aim is not perfect on account
iof unsteady nerves and they are at
once refus ed. as the using of the
cigaret is strictly forbidden in
these schools.
Il is not only the smoke that is
inhaled, that is harmful, but the
nicotine that is absorbed in the
mucns membrane of the mouth.
When cigaret user smokes, he
almost invariably inhales the smoke
and there is therefore absorption
not only in the mucus membrane
bat that of the nose, throat and
larger bronchial tubes. In addition
TO all this the using of cigarets
causes the boys to become tired,
stupid and lazy; it makes them ir-
ritable and careless OF the rights
vand feelings of others, besides, i'll
many cases it causes them to begin
lying and even stealing as the case
may be.
The father who uses the cigaret
in the presence of his boy is COM
mitting even sin TO himself ana
iis setting bad example for his boy
who may in some future day prove
the ruin of his much beloved son.
The boy who sees his father indulge
in smoking, too begins the harmful
habit, thinking that it makes him
look like a man, but this is truly a
mistake and instead of making him
larger.it stunts the growth. 1t weak.
ems the nerves, stupefes the brain
cells and interferes with digestion;
r. also diminishes the natural appe-
tite. The ciearet contains nicotine
and this is a violent poison. AS the
proof has been, doctors of much
knowledge know that the cigaret
harms the body because they have
seen in many cases around the heart
patches of poisonous mater which
has been taken in from the using
of it.
You can tell very distinctly the
school boy who uses cigarets, be-
cause he is of such a dull mind and
his school work is of such low
grade that it reduces the class aver
o,l A. L. .,h,,> ,,o,,1 ,n,r