THE CIGARET EVIL

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Jan 8, 1902

Mr. Willis Brown, field-organizer of the Anti-Cigaret League, tells us in an article in the Ram's Horn that in the seventh and eighth grades of a school in Columbus, O., “out of 41 boys, 36 had used or were smoking cigarets; 5 not. Fifth and sixth grades, out of 35 boys, 26 smokers; 9 non-smokers. In the third and fourth grades, composed of boys from 8 to 12 years of age—out of 53 boys only 11 non-smokers. Of the whole number of 129 boys, over 82 per cent. were cigaret-users, more or less.” This school was among the Jews, Italians, Poles, and colored boys. In another school, “recognized as one of the best,” its pupils coming from the better homes of the community, in the first-eighth and second-eighth grades we found 33 boys; only 2 had not smoked cigarets. In the first and second-seventh grade, 53 boys; only 2 non-smokers. In sixth and fifth grades, 59 boys; 9 non-smokers. In the fourth and second-fifth grades, 53 boys; 19 non-smokers. Of the total number of 198 boys, over 83 per cent. smoked the cigaret.

In Fort Wayne, Ind., in a school in the best residence portion of the city, in grades 3 to 8, out of 117 boys, 84 were smokers, or over 71 per cent.

In the Liberty Grammar School, Pittsburg, Pa., in the highest grade, in the class containing the boys who the following term would enter the High School, only 14 out of 55 were non-smokers. These 14 “were the best students.” Below are the tabulated findings of Prof. Wardis of the Uhrichsville, O., public school, in a prosperous town in a farming community:—

Grade	Boys	Girls	Boys non-smoking	Average age of non-smokers	Boys smoking	Average age of smokers
First Grade	77	75	75	7¾	2	8½
Second Grade	62	62	49	8½	13	9½
Third Grade	54	61	38	10	16	10½
Fourth Grade	46	53	17	11	29	12
Fifth Grade	73	63	37	12	36	13
Sixth Grade	60	74	8	12¾	52	13¾
Seventh Grade	30	58	6	14	24	15½
Eighth Grade	12	27	—	—	12	16½
High School, 1st year	6	30	2	16	4	16½
High School, 2d year	5	10	—	—	5	16½
High School, 3d year	2	15	2	17	—	—

These are appalling statistics, which ought to come home to the heart of every parent. It is generally recognized that no use of tobacco so quickly shatters the nerves as cigaret-smoking. Dr. L. Bremer, late physician at St. Vincent's Institution for the Insane at St. Louis, says:—

Basing my assertion on the experience gained in private practise, and at the St. Vincent's Institution, I will broadly state that the boy who smokes at 7 will drink whisky at 14, take to morphine at 25, and wind up with cocaine and the rest of the narcotics at 30.

The practise is as bad for the mind as the body; as bad for the soul as the mind. Anti-cigaret leagues can do something; God bless them in their work; but parents can and should do more. It may cost the father his cigar or pipe to save his son. If it does, all the better; he has then saved himself also. Let every father, mother, girl, and boy who reads this do all in his or her power to destroy the evil and save the boys,—yes, and many girls.