Smoking tobacco is a habit that has existed for thousands of years. Native Americans first used tobacco, then European settlers, and then eventually the majority of the modern war. Tobacco has built cities, and empires, and made millions for countries and individuals. While tobacco was a blessing for some, it was a complete curse for others. Tobacco killed many people over many years not just because of illness, but also because of lies, wars, and exploitation through slavery.
But how was tobacco first used and for what reasons? And how did its place in society transform over the centuries?
Tobacco in early Meso America and American colonies:
Tobacco is a plant that grows naturally in the Americas, specifically in Meso America. It was used by Native Americans as a medicine that cured all types of pain. Native Americans also used tobacco for many of their religious rituals. Tobacco was the center of culture, spirituality, and healing in Native American societies.
With the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1492, the Europeans started to get acquainted with the miracle medicine of the Native Americans. By the 16th century, Europeans used tobacco as a medicine or an ingredient of medicine, it was seen as a medicine that could cure any illness, though it was still not used for recreational purposes.
In 1606, with the charter of the Virginia Company, settlers set sail for what would later be called the colony of Virginia. The colonists tried many ways of making money for the colony, such as lumber, glass making, and silk making, but none of them were successful. But in 1612 John Rolfe brought something that would not only transform the colony of Virginia, but also all of America. It was tobacco seeds brought from Trinidad or South America. It was at a time when the Spanish had a monopoly over tobacco seeds, and it was even punishable by death to sell tobacco seeds to a non-spaniard.
This is the spark that started plantations of tobacco, which would later lead to the first slaves arriving in Jamestown in 1619 to grow tobacco. Slaves were forced to work in harsh conditions with no return for their work. The slaves had to work tirelessly to keep up with the demands of British sponsors and the British Empire.
Tobacco during the 18th century and early 19th century:
Tobacco continued to be planted in many colonies, some more than others. The Tobacco colonies were Virginia, Maryland, and North Carolina and they were given that name due to their economies’ heavy dependence on tobacco. Tobacco would continue to be planted and smoked for decades to come.
Starting in 1826, with scientists finally discovering that nicotine is a dangerous and harmful drug, people started to realize the harmful effects of smoking tobacco. In the late 1800s, most tobacco was used for chewing tobacco, with the leftover scraps being used for cigarettes and cigars. At the time, cigarettes and cigars were a luxury not everyone could afford. It wasn't until the invention of the cigarette rolling machine by James Bonsack in 1880, that cigarettes started to be mass-produced for the public to consume. WW1 further popularised smoking cigarettes by calling them “soldier smoke.” WW2 rations even included cigarettes for soldiers to smoke.
Ironically the first serious effort against smoking was started by the German Anti Smoking Campaign, which lasted from the 1930s to the 1940s. Funded by the Nazi Party, the campaign banned smoking in public transport and promoted health education in schools. The first links between lung illness and smoking were first discovered by German scientists and doctors.
Modern efforts to stop the spread of smoking:
Starting in the 1960s, with more discoveries of links between smoking and health problems, countries like the UK banned cigarette advertisements on TV. The US government would follow and ban TV advertisements of cigarettes in the 1970s. At the time, cigarette companies continued to deny the allegations and tried many ways to salvage their reputation. One of these ways was claiming that doctors smoked their brand of cigarettes to prove that they were healthy.
In the 1980s, smoking was banned in most public places, and lawsuits were filed against the 4 major cigarette companies. The lawsuit ended with a huge settlement where the 4 companies had to pay for the healthcare needed for the problems caused by smoking. Evidence later showed that cigarette companies knew about the harmful effects of their product, but continued to deny them.
Governments have banned many forms of smoking advertisements, including TV ads, movie ads, billboards, and on the internet. Google and Microsoft have even stopped advertising for cigarette companies on their platforms. Most first-world countries also banned smoking in restaurants, bars, and workplaces. Anti-smoking campaigns have also appeared over the years, funded by governments.
Smoking is the number one preventable cause of death, killing about 5 million people every year. There are over 4000 chemicals in cigarettes, and almost 40 of them are confirmed to cause cancer. Smoking has been shown to even change your DNA, which means even if you do stop smoking there is still a higher risk of getting diseases than people who never smoked. There are currently 1.3 billion smokers worldwide, most of them being in low and middle-income countries. Hopefully, with the development of the world, more people will turn to quit smoking and cigarettes disappear from this world for good.