FREAK SMOKING

Greymouth Evening Star, 6 November 1923, Page 2

FREAK SMOKING

YOUNG GIRL’S CHOICE. “Luxury” smoking is on the increase. It is estimated that quite ten per cent of the general smoking public have, during the last twelve months, definitely adopted the freak cigarette lashion. “It is quite astonishing the amount of requests we get for perfumed cigarettes,” said the manager of a wellknown firm of tobacconists. “For instance, five years ago, am-ber-perfumed cigarettes were considered a luxury, and only indulged in by those who could afford expensive specialities. Nowadays it is almost a, cp minionpl ace. Young ipii their early twenties think nothing of baying these exotic and strongly perfumed cigarettes. Far more being manufactured, as usually happens when the demand is increased, the prices are now within the reach of all pockets. Another ‘freak’ fashion that is more marked at the moment is that of having the owner’s name and address stamped across the cigarette. These are mostly made at the request of small firms, two being ‘bookies,’ who order an average of 500 a week. These are left casually on their desks, and the prospective client is generously regaled with free ‘smokes.’ ('This fashion was quite usual many years ago, and seems slowly to be regaining favour. Freak lengths are less appreciated than they were. The fashion is more favoured on the Continent than over here. People seem to think they look foolish and possibly they are 100 expensive, as they must be specially made or ordered. The longest cigarette we sell is 4in, and the smallest about 2in. , When the cigarettes have to be specially made, I find lha(. customers invariably prefer Turkish Tobacco.”