Pick Your Poison

The beauties and deformities of tobacco-using: or its ludicrous and its solemn realities

Coles condemns recreational tobacco use and points out its harmful physical effects. In one section, he looks at tobacco use as a moral issue, declaring that habits that harm the body and immoderation are sins. He stresses that tobacco’s only acceptable use is medicinal and that it should be administered with discretion by doctors. Coles’ voice is one of many in his day with a moralizing anti-tobacco stance.