Harlann cigarette smokers are still puffing away though apparently with some restraining anxieties, despite medical reports the habit might hasten death and an additional three cent state tax.

This was the situation indicated Friday by spot checks of whole sale dealers, retailers and the general public.

Most of them say they had detected no change in cigarette sales since an American Cancer Society report ten days ago that the average cigarette users aged 50 to 70 die sooner, mainly of heart attacks or cancer.

"Frankly, I'm scared to death," said Harold Bailey, "but I still keep smoking."

Fred Lewis, druggist, thinks the scare has "just switched them around to filter tips." More people complain about the tax that went on July 1 than they do the cancer scare he added.

Take Tax In Stride

harold Hurst, druggist, says the public knew the tax was going on and seem to "just take it in stride." There are few reports around town that sales are dropping but hugh Tester, wholesale dealer, tells us "the sales aren't noticeably affected."

It is know every where that people fuss and fume over cigarette prices and change to a pipe and in a few days go right back to cigarettes. The pipe demand around Harlan hasn't risen enough to make any difference.,/>

Cigarette holders are also getting popular. some ladies like the novelty. Mrs Jack Britt Howard has read and heard a lot about the cigarette scare but it doesn't bother her at all, while Mrs. Dennis Saylor saus that sometimes bad results are caused but it still doesn't worry people enough to stop smoking.

Roy Shelby, food store mmanagner, came up with the statement that "nothing slows them down...you get the habit...and that's it...you can't quit."

Judge Wix Unthank is inclined also to think that the cigarette scare hasn't made much of a dent in public opinion.

Wouldn't Buy Stock

Many people are looking for all kinds of ways to continue smoking to avoid any harmful effects. some sources say it is too soon to guess the effects of the latest medical report accurately. It may be the middle of July before any kind of report is determined.

Lee Bailey says definitely that he "wouldn't be buying any tobacco stock" because he believes it is going down. It will probably take several months to determine the effect...that is wholesale dealer J.B. Douglas' opinion. since the tax went on at this time, it could be hard to judge.

We were reminded that there have been other such scare reports in the past and after it has worn off they resume normal smoking again. At any rate, the people are thinking and Howard Cain believes that it has had "some effect." Mrs. Maggie Black's contact with the public leads her to believe that they area a little worried but go on any way.

Bill Wilson, store manager, and non-smoker, reveals that he thinks the public is a little scared and are tapering off."

Others Share Opinions

The opinions of harlanites are also shared by lots of other Americans, a survey conducted by the Associated Press reveals.

"Smokers seem generally complacent about it," said a San Francisco wholesaler. "They figure why worry when the hydrogen bomb is liable to snuff out their lives anyway someday."

however, there were some reports sales drops, amounting to as much as 25 percent, along with other signs some smokers were disturbed. A change to filter-tipped cigarettes was a wide trend.

Among 75 sources, some of them representing chains with hundreds of outlets, 52 said cigarette sales had remained unchanged, 15 reported slumps, usually slight, and 7 reported sales increases.

Pipe Sales Up

"The scare has just switched them around to filtered cigarettes," said a Dallas wholesaler.

"We also sell more pipes than ever before, but there's no real decline in cigarette sales.

"People just fuss, raise hell, buy pipes and then go right back to cigarettes."

The AP survey gave no genersl evidence of a big run on chewing tobacco, cigars, snuff or pipes as a substitute for cigarettes.

Distributors in Washington, D.C., reported:

"The demand for pipes, pipe tobacco and cigars has risen slightly."

Indications of a switch was to filter-tipped, long cigarettes came from dealers in nearly every city.

"More filtered smokes are off-setting any loss in sale of regular brands," said wholesalers in Raleigh, N.C.

Cigarette holders also were getting popular.

Said one of Connecticut's largest retailers:

"We've sold more filter-type cigarette holders during the past year than in the history of te company.

people are looking for "all kinds of ways to continue smoking to avoid any harmful effects."

"Boom To Bust" Envisioned

Many sources said it was too soon to gauge the effects of the latest medical report accurately.