SMOKING BY GIRL STUDENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20990, 29 September 1931, Page 12

SMOKING BY GIRL STUDENTS.

Sir, —The members of tho Auckland University College Professorial Board are to be heartily congratulated on their decision to prohibit smoking by girl students in the common room in the. university. It would be difficult to estimate the percentago of our young women who have acquired fho smoking habit, but is no doubt that ,the _ percentage is increasing rather than diminishing. It is a well-established -fact that smoking has a- far more seriofft effect on the nervous systems of women than on those of men. Tests undertaken in the lowa State College proved as follows:—"College girls taking part in athletics were in better shapo than • their less active sisters. The chances are 95 in 100 that a high school boy who smokes will be in worse condition than a non-smoker. Girls who use cigarettes are about 13 per cent, less efficient physically than those who have not formed the habit. Fatness greatly reduces efficiency," I arn sure that tlio desire of our educational authorities is to turn out from our schools and colleges young men and women possessed of clean, cultured minds, healthy, wholesome bodies and inspired by noble ideals. It is beyond serious contradiction that smoking is a hindrance rather than a help in this respect. In fact, it is assuming sufficient importance to justify it in being regarded as a national problem. The powers that he should see to it that smoking and its effects on the nervous system should bo included in tho subjects treated with under the heading of hygiene in our schools. R. S. Mackay.