A Growing Evil

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Tacoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Feb 20, 1908

UNDER the heading “My Lady Nicotine” the Washington Post of February 4 gives, in its editorial columns, the following article, which will be of interest to those who are studying the liquor and tobacco problems:—

Who is smoking all the cigarettes? During the whole of last year these slender specimens of surcease combatted a legion of anti-cigarette crusades in several States, and fought legislative enactments against their sale and consumption; yet there were 930,061,509 more cigarettes sold than during the preceding year. It is a striking record for the little so-called “dude killers” to make.

The total tobacco figures for the year 1907 go far toward proving that man will have his smoke, whatever be the state of his purse or the disturbances of his mind. It seems we smoked up about 8,500,000,000 cigars, something more than a billion little cigars, or cigarros, and about 300,000,000 pounds of pipe tobacco during the twelvemonth. And this in a year accused of being “hard times.” It was quite a lot of money to be puffed away into smoke. Will some statistic-loving brother—or sister—of the anti-tobacconites please tell us how many town lots we could have bought with it?

My Lady Nicotine has become the mistress of civilized man. . . . The excessive use of cigarettes proves that men will not do without tobacco in some form. In spite of legislation and moral crusades against it, it is quite probable that the world will never use less tobacco. Two decades ago there were many men who never smoked. Now it is rare to find one. The “tobacco heart” and the “tobacco eyes,” the cramped chest, and the irritated throat may all be real blood money—wrung from them as part of the price they pay—but men will still woo the fairy spirit of the smoke rings. The doctors may tell that her lips are stained with poison, and others warn that she is sinful, but we will not give her up. Hers is the spell of one we love, and will perish with rather than deny.

Such is the attitude of the confirmed smoker, and the figures show that his name is legion. It is quite probable that he is in the wrong. It is absolutely true

that he spends too much money on his weakness. But is it possible to wean him away from his affection by legislative prohibition? The growing consumption of tobacco, during the years of legal prosecution, does not show it. But possibly the great increase in cigarette consumption is due to the new smoking fad among women!

Perhaps. We will hope not.

And this is but another testimony to the growing power of appetite and passion over will and reason. The statement that “my Lady Nicotine has become the mistress of civilized man” is a remarkable statement, but not more remarkable than true, if by “civilized man” is meant the majority of urban dwellers. It testifies to a decay of high moral stamina and deep religious convictions among the masses that contradicts with unanswerable arguments the declaration that the world is growing better.