shall take any tobacko, publickhj, in the street 

 [or any open places] unless on a journey of at 

 least ten miles. [Smoking was permitted at 

 dinner time; if not then, not more than once a 

 day at most and then not in company.] 



There was but a handful of doctors in the colony. 

 Those few found themselves pressed for time to write 

 out smoking prescriptions ordered by this early "Blue 

 Law." Licensed smokers were among the colony's elite 

 while youths not yet twenty, as might be expected, 

 puffed secretly without sanction. 



Some private homes began to assume the character of 

 smoking clubs, and traders increased their orders for 

 tobacco. Exeryone concerned seemed to be enjoying 

 himself except members of the Court. Snooping became 

 a fairly profitable private enterprise. All an interested 

 man had to do was to follow his nose, apprehend the 

 villain with the aid of overworked constables, inform in 

 court, prosecute— and collect the high fine, which was 

 84 pence in 1655. 



A considerable volume would be required to list all 

 the tobacco laws and revisions of laws issued by the 

 General Court at New na\en or by community authori- 

 ties during the early colonial period. Collectively, the 

 regulations proved a futile effort to curb a deeply rooted 

 social custom. 



leaf traffic 



The trade in tobacco was not confined to local sales 

 and occasional exportations of the leaf grown in Con- 

 necticut. New England merchantmen were running 



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