SMOKING ON INCREASE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20537, 11 April 1930, Page 8

SMOKING ON INCREASE.

GROWING CIGARETTE HABIT*

FIGURES FOR BRITAIN. [from OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.7 LONDON, March 4'. For the 12 months ended last December, the total tobacco consumption in Britain was 14^7,831,767113., compared with 141,725,8211b. for 1923, and 138,159,9001b. for 1927. There has been a rapid increase since the war. In the year ended March, 1924, the official consumption was 128,814,9171b., for Great Britain and Northern Ireland. There has thus' been an increaso of .nearly 20,000,0001b. in five years.

The editor of the Tobacco World li-i* given the number of cigarettes fmoked in Great Britain and Northern Ireland in the year as 38,293,999,560. This figure is based on tho assumption that threequarters of the total tobacco consumed in 1928—141,725,8211b.—was in-the form of cigarettes. Cigarette-smoking is still greatly on the increase, both in Britain and America, according to the latest figures. .Americans, it is stated, smoked 119.058.841.560 cigarettes last year-if13.000.000.000 more than in 1928. This averaged more than 1000 —or three a day—for every man, woman and child. This average of 1000 a head of the total population is roughly the figure for Great Britain and Northern Ireland also.

The reference to smoking recalls the tournaments of past years. At the Royal Agricultural Hall in 1907, 4000 people watched 150 men in a smoking competition. One-eighth of an ounce of tobacco was allowed, and one match. The winner of the tournament, Mr. Thomas Woods, of London, kept his pipe alight for 2 hours 12 mfnuteS.

Mr. John Reynolds, formerly a sergeant in the Essex Regiment, claims that ha smoked one-eighth of. an. ounce of tobacco for 2 hours 24 minutes 20 seconds at, tha Mildma.y Park Club, Newington Green.i There were 100 competitors, and 19 differ* enfc clubs represented.