The State's Sudden War on Cigarettes
Washington moves to ban the sale and manufacture of cigarettes, setting up a clash with the powerful American Tobacco Company.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
There is no difference of opinion among tobacco dealers regarding the anti-cigarette bill. The bill, which becomes law in ninety days, makes it unlawful to buy, sell, give away, or manufacture cigarettes or cigarette paper. Interviews with representatives of Schwabacher Bros. & Co., Levy Bros., Webb & Co., Fischer & Macdonald, and others indicate that they agree with the spirit of the law, noting that a lack of enforcement regarding sales to minors necessitated this radical step. Seattle dealers sell approximately 10,000,000 to 12,000,000 cigarettes per annum, totaling $50,000 to $60,000 in annual trade. The market is controlled by the American Tobacco Company, a trust that netted $4,000,000 in profits last year. While dealers believe the law is unconstitutional and expect a challenge from the trust, they express little interest in the outcome, citing thin profit margins and customer demand as their only reasons for handling the product.
“The bill... makes it unlawful to buy, sell, give away or manufacture cigarettes or cigarette paper.”
This 1893 legislative attempt to curb the 'cigarette habit' prefigures the modern, highly regulated environment for tobacco and nicotine products. It highlights a recurring theme in Washington politics: using the state's police power to regulate moral behavior, often leading to immediate legal challenges from large corporations.
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