Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1920-02-17
Frederic Haskin's Letter
SHALL WOMEN SMOKE?

the reports OF tne CROWN OIL 4tne
habit among young girls. the Meth
odist Episcopal board Of temper
ance has already fired the opening
shot particularly stressing the In
furious effects Of the HABIT on the
health Of women. They deplore the
habit as phrase Of the present
day feminism that claims for wom-
en- every privilege enjoyed BY men,
Concerning the justice OF this de-
mand there can be no question,
Concerning its expediency, much
can be said"
Women as . rule, they claim
owing to their more sedentary life
yield to the habit with far greater
abandon than men. and the woman
who enjoys her cigaret can hardly
endure being separated from 1t fol-
any length Of time.
The question Of smoking in the
Women's City club is brought into
the argument. These women, they
point out, were accustomed to
smoking in their own homes, and
could not spend even a few hours
away from that home without their
tobacco, while a man. even q reg
ular smoker, can, and frequently
does, 20 for hours without even
touching tobacco of any kind.
1.-THE nervous constitution of a
woman" they argue, "can be COM
pared to that Of an adolescent boy,
. and the effects of tobacco upon he1
is similar in its effects on immature
youth"
THE most serious factor, how
ever, is the innate physical differ
ence between men and women, in
volving a difference in response
bility, a difference in duties and
privileges. 1t is admitted that the
tobacco habit when contracted mus
be satisfied at all times. The woman
must bear her children for mint
months, during which time the IN
developed child is sdrugged by to-
bacco in the blood Of the smoking
mother. She nurses her child fol
many months, and if the mother
uses tobacco, it is present in dis
tinct quantities in the milk.
mo nation can maintain the vigol
which has characterized the Amer
I.ican people if its women smoke. Al
earnest appeal should be made tt
the women to refrain from the use
Of tobacco in the name OF theil
country's welfare, no matter wha
strict justice may declare theil
right and privilege to be-"
Tobacco dealers throughout thu
country admit that the habit i!
spreading among women to a sur
prising degree. Theatres, restau
rants, and clubs in almost ever!
city of the United States are recog
nizing the fact in the establishment
of smoking rooms for their fem
mime patrons. A Chicago theatre
manager recently declared that tn
cigaret box in the ladies smokin,
room had to be replenished ever.
day, while the one in the men
smoking room was seldom emptied
But this, he admitted, might b.
due to the fact that men, as rule
carry their tobacco with them
while the custom of carrying thei
own cigaret case y not yet univer
sal among women, though daint.
cases for the feminine smoker ar
on sale at almost every jewelers..
/ Nor do the women, tobacco deal
ers say as rule, smoke tn
scented and daintily coiored ladies
cigarets. In the majority of case
they ask for some mild brand pat
ronized by their brothers or friends
Sometimes the feminine smoke
even rolls her own, choosing tn
identical brand of tobacco used b,
her masculine acquaintances.
Statistics tell US that in 100
there were manufactured and soil
in America a little more than tw'
and one-half billion cigarets. Il
1918, according to the "Tobacc'
Leaf" the output in this countr,
was SO, 900 ,000, 900, and there figure
did not include the roll your own
kind. At this figure the 1918 to
bacco bill for the United State
was, in round numbers, $500, 900.
000-$15 for every man, woman
and child in the country.
| The increase in the number o
cigarets consumed in this countr,
in the years between 1900 and 1911
was greatly out OF proportion to tn
actual increase in population, an,
this, the anti-tobacco forces believe
was due largely to the growth o
the habit among women.