SMOKING A CIGARETTE

New Zealand Times, Volume L, Issue 11414, 10 January 1923, Page 6

SMOKING A CIGARETTE

WHEN AND HOW TJ> OO IT. Unlike the devotee of the cigar, who is usually something of a connoisseur with a knowledge of the orthodox ritual, the cigarette smoker who makes the most of his cigarette is rare, - writes Alfred Dunhill in the London “Daily Mail." To extract the maximum of pleasure from a cigarette the smoker must smoke the right cigarette for his palate at the right time and in the right way. Once a cigarette which suite the palate has been found, the amokqr should, as far as possible, keep exclusively to the brand. To vary between Virginian and Turkish prevents the full appreciation of either. The smoke should be drawn slowly and steadily inhaled. Bapid smoking impairs the flavour, and unless the smoke is inhaled neither taste nor aroma can h« experienced. As to the best time for a cigarette, the cigarette smoker and bis doctor will never agree. A cigarette never yields greater enjoyment and displays its qualities to better advantage than before breakfast, particularly with a cap of coffee. Next in order of merit—still from the smoker's point of view—comes tho cigarette smoked during a meal, between the courses, provided it does not follow a dish that is too sweet or cloying. Next comes the cigarette smoked after a meal. Immediately before a meal a cigarette cannot be fully appreciated, and the oonnoisseur will wait until at least the first course is over. Few smokers consider the right drink to be taken with a cigarette. Generally alcohol and ismoke do not mix well, and spirits in particular not only spoil tho flavour of tobacco, but also act as a solvent to the nicotine. The combination, too, of a cup of tea and a cigarette usually means a cup of tea and a cigarette spfiilt. as their flavours are mutually destructive. A good cup of coffee is the ideal drink with a smoke, and allows the full flavour to be extracted from both. From the doctor’s point of view, too, they must form a good combination, as the caffein and tbe nicotine naturally neutralise each other. The secret of pleasurable smoking, however, is moderation. Tlio man who mechanically lights one cigarette. after another soon loses all appreciation of their qualities. He burns cigarettes, but he does not smoke them.