The War on Cigarettes
A new, stringent state law bans the possession of cigarette papers and wrappers, sparking debate over government overreach.
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.
The law intended to eradicate the cigarette evil, that went into effect on the 9th, is so binding in its provisions that those addicted to the habit will come in for a good deal of trouble if the law is strictly enforced. The code reads that “every person who shall manufacture, sell, give away, or have in his possession any cigarettes, cigarette papers, or cigarette wrappers, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor,” and hence liable to a fine. The smoking of cigarettes may be, and no doubt is, injurious to the health, as other habits that man is addicted to, but this provision is so stringent that it is doubtful if it can be enforced, and probably would not stand the test of constitutionality if carried to the supreme court. Under the influence of the prevailing tendency to reform legislators are apt to go to the extreme in trying to make men be good, but such stringent legislation is more liable to do harm than accomplish any lasting benefit.
“Under the influence of the prevailing tendency to reform legislators are apt to go to the extreme in trying to make men be good.”
This 1909 moral panic over cigarette consumption mirrors contemporary legislative battles over new technologies or substances, highlighting the recurring American impulse to legislate morality rather than address root causes.
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