Up until the outbreak of World War One, in an era when child labor was prominent and generally acceptable to the public eye, children provided the main source of production for the cigar industries. Children not only worked as factory workers rolling cigars, but also played a part in their deliverance...and smoked a few on the way.
But in the 1800's, the compulsive child smokers of America began to unnerve foreign journalists on their business trips to the states. To appease the foreigners and sustain tourism, smoking bans were placed on the youths and their addictive habits. If not for the "smoke-free" foreigners who complained about the constant cigar stench, perhaps it would not seem odd today to see a toddler smoking in the corner of a room, with a round Montecristo cigar in his tiny fist.
By Curly Cue 8/5/12
I was one of these young boys! How did you hear of us? I feel that so few do!
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