You may think the debate about smoking is fairly recent, but the more things change, the more they resemble 1908. On this date that year, the New York City council passed an ordinance that made it illegal for women to smoke in public places. The ordinance was the result of a campaign by the National Anti-Cigarette League. At the time, a number of cities had banned smoking, along with the states of Arkansas, Iowa, Idaho, and Tennessee. All of these laws were revoked by 1917, since they were not only difficult to enforce but added to the allure of smoking. That allure has diminished in the succeeding decades, but there remain some 142 cigarette brands on the market, with annual sales of over $31 billion. You can find more facts about America’s people, places and economy, from the American Community Survey, at <www.census.gov>.