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Show Use of Tobacco by Minors, ' The use of tobacco by children. Its ' causos and prevention Is discussed A ln the Medical Summary. A Whilst most states havo laws forbid- I l ding the sale of tobacco to minors. It I ' Is a notorious fact that such laws aro ' universally Ignored. Tho parent, ' teacher and physician are to blame. Tho parent, that ho does not thoroughly thor-oughly train his child; tho teacher, thnt he does not better supervise tho conduct of his pupils; the doctor, In I that he does not warn the parent, I who perhaps errs himself. I School boys may bo seen any day I ,on their way to school with books un- I 1 der their arms, and a chew of tobacco lor a cigarette In their mouths. Occasionally Oc-casionally little girls may bo observed Indulging In the seductive cigarette on tho streets. Whnt will bo the In-: evltnble results? The best that could be hoped would be numerous tobacco users, but worse might bo feared, and very much worse Imagined. Tho evil Is evident, and the remedy Is provided, but law Is useless till enforced en-forced on violation. Tho denier will not oboy it till public sentiment demands de-mands it; tho child does not choose to submit to It; the parent Is negligent; the pupil Is indifferent or silent; nnd whnt is left for the child's salvation but action upon tho part of tho guardians guard-ians of hunianty. If wo act, we move thankless. The pnrent will not appreciate; appre-ciate; the dealer will bo made an enemy; and the children will hate us as they becorao men. Pastor and priest, lawyer and laymen will sneer If we attempt to enforce the laws. Even but "a fow of our owu body poll-tic poll-tic may be depended upon to act, cither cith-er by precept or concerted movement. Few physicians aro even good enough politicians to nsk n councilman or representative rep-resentative to voto upon a measure. The effort against tho evil Is necesBn-rlly, necesBn-rlly, for the time, along the lines of Individual effort. To do good, wo must practice, act, and preach. If our "smoking" friends will close their eyes while puffing pipe or cigar, they will And they rannot tell when they "have lire." What foolishness, to spend money nnd waste health to watch smoke curl. Horace Qrcoloy defined de-fined a cigar as "a roll of tobacco with fire at one end and n fool at tho other," oth-er," and wo think him moro than half right. If the uro of tobacco by tho adult be such Idiocy, what shall wo say of Its consumption by tho minor? |