Tobacco Nuisance by Editor

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Aug 27, 1885

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 11, No. 33.

Tobacco Nuisance.

By Editor

ABOUT a year ago, after a trip to Washington Territory and return, we wrote an article under this head, in which we spoke of the sufferings of those who were subjected to the fumes of filthy tobacco on the lines of travel. Recent experience and observation lead us to republish the article, with some additions:—

We have long thought of calling the attention of steamer and railroad officials to an evil, which amounts to a nuisance, and which we think, in justice to travelers of decent habits and correct tastes, they ought to abate. We refer to the nuisance of tobacco smoke.

By this we do not mean that smoking should be abolished on steamers and railroad trains. This ought to be done, but we know it is too much to ask. But we do mean that such regulations should be adopted as will protect those to whom smoke is offensive and injurious. We will point out what justice demands, in a few particulars.

1. When a "smoking-car" is attached to a railroad train, smoking should be confined strictly to that car, and no one be permitted to smoke on the platforms of the coaches. By smoking on the platforms the smoke is constantly driven into the cars, to the great annoyance of those who dislike it, and, as is often the case, are seriously injured by it. When a smoking-car is put on a train for the special accommodation of the devotees of the nuisance, is it too much to ask that smokers confine their filth to that car, and not defile the atmosphere of every car on the train? We think our request is reasonable, and that officials ought to enforce a rule that smoking on railroad trains shall be confined to the smoking-cars.

2. We have a yet more serious complaint to make

in behalf of those who pay extra fare for palace car or "sleeper" accommodations. These generally have a wash-room at each end; and often, and we may say invariably on some roads, these wash-rooms are turned into smoking-rooms, and being small they are filled with smoke at short intervals, and when the inner door is opened, the smoke is emptied into the body of the car. We once took a "sleeper," which proved to be such in name only, as even in the night the wash-room was filled with smoke, which we were driven to our berth at intervals, so that instead of quietly sleeping, a privilege which we had purchased at a very dear rate, we were subjected to a process of choking, much to our discomfort for that night and the following day. Recently we heard a lady, who has traveled much, refuse to take a ticket on a certain line, because she had found that on that line the sleepers were constantly filled with tobacco smoke. We contend that travelers of pure tastes and correct habits have rights which the lines of travel are justly bound to respect, if they are not respected by other travelers.

3. And still more urgent is our demand for justice to travelers by sea. On the steamers is always to be found a "smoking-room," yet comparatively few smokers indulge their perverted tastes and offensive habits in that room. On land we may often change our position so as to be comparatively free from the nuisance; we may suffer the discomfort of sitting up in a coach on an "overland" trip, which is preferable to the discomfort of trying to sleep in a palace car filled with tobacco smoke. But on a steamer there is no retreat. Tobacco smokers are everywhere, on every deck from one end of the ship to the other. We have seen two or three smokers, each puffing the fumes of a vile cigar, or a still viler cigarette or pipe, take their position by the open window of a state-room occupied by ladies, where the wind drove the smoke directly into the room. We have seen ladies under such circumstances, who were bravely trying to keep up from sea-sickness, make a vain effort to avoid the disgusting and nauseating smoke, and in a few minutes become deadly sick; and it was imputed to the sea! It was no such thing. The same ladies would have been sick on land, at their own homes, if they had been subjected to such dense fumes of filthy tobacco.

Now we appeal to all in authority; to superintendents, general agents, conductors, captains, and all others concerned,—is this right? Must decent passengers always and everywhere be subjected to such outrages? The nuisance is increasing. The selfishness and arrogance of smokers is becoming more and more asserting and annoying. We have actually seen young animals—we suppose they would like to be called young gentlemen, but they must go elsewhere for compliments—take their position to the windward of ladies on a steamer, and watch with glee the annoyance and speedy sickness occasioned by the smoke that issued from their foul mouths.

We well remember the time when a man (need we say gentleman?) would have been ashamed to puff a pipe or cigar in the presence of a lady. We fear we shall never see those times again. We lose much of our respect for a lady who smiles at her companion in the street, who walks by her side puffing tobacco smoke in her face! Recently a young lady was dangerously burned by fire from a cigar which her escort was smoking while they were riding together in a buggy. The papers reported that the young man was much distressed over the accident. We doubt whether he will reform, and break away from his indecent and dangerous habit; for a confirmed tobacco smoker has all his sensibilities hardened. As far as the rights of others are concerned, we would sooner trust to the whisky drinker. We are not making our appeal to smokers; that would be useless. We speak for justice, for rights, to those who can and ought to protect those who purchase passages on their lines of travel.

In a recent trip on a steamer we saw three ladies in one room, all sick. For this room they paid an extra price, hoping, from its situation, to have the privilege of pure air. But a company of men were constantly near the door, and as constantly smoking, and scarcely an hour in the day was this room free from a cloud of smoke. In the morning we came to their door and asked them concerning their welfare. One of the ladies answered: "We were quite comfortable through the night, after the men left this part of the deck, and we could breath the pure air. But this morning, since smoking about our door is resumed, we are all deathly sick." We pointed out the situation to the men, and remonstrated with them; but this secured only a partial and temporary respite.

We invite the traveling public to unite with us in demanding an abatement of such a nuisance. Let all religious papers join in the demand that the comfort and health of decent passengers shall be respected. As a general thing smokers look upon it as an infringement upon their rights to be requested to cease smoking in any place; but those who suffer from tobacco smoke have rights which they ought to assert. We have confidence that a change might be effected if they who desire it will unite in their demands.

Both railroad and steamship lines provide places where smokers may indulge their habit without interruption or hindrance; but they fail to provide any place where a person of cleanly habits and pure tastes can be free from the nuisance. It is not right. We shall continue to protest as long as the evil continues, and we are able to travel. And in this appeal and protest we invite all travelers who love pure air—to whom the filth of tobacco smoke is offensive—to unite with us.