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Path: utzoo!linus!genrad!decvax!harpo!floyd!vax135!cornell!uw-beaver!tektronix!tekecs!orca!andrew
From: andrew@orca.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.flame
Subject: smoking in public: an historical perspective
Message-ID: <1317@orca.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 15-Jun-83 19:14:04 EDT
Article-I.D.: orca.1317
Posted: Wed Jun 15 19:14:04 1983
Date-Received: Fri, 17-Jun-83 06:22:52 EDT
Lines: 19

At about the turn of the century, there was a much greater per capita
consumption of chewing tobacco than now, and it was considered socially
acceptable to spit tobacco juice in public.  Most public places
provided spittoons, but many tobacco users had faulty aim.  It was not
uncommon to walk into, say, the post office, and have to tread very
carefully upon the marble floors slippery with spit.

At the time, the militant anti-chewers railed and rallied in an effort
to get public tobacco chewing banned.  Of course, the tobacco users
whined about their "freedom" to spit wherever and whenever they
pleased.

Of course, as time passed, society matured and tobacco chewing faded as
a popular vice.  One can only hope that, in another half-century,
ashtrays will be displayed only in historical museums for children to
wonder at.

  -- Andrew Klossner   (decvax!teklabs!tekecs!andrew)  [UUCP]
                       (andrew.tektronix@rand-relay)   [ARPA]