In 6000 BC, tobacco plants were cultivated in Central America. Priests and leaders smoked tobacco in religious rituals and for medicinal purposes. The Mayans and Aztecs smoked tobacco in forms of reeds and smoking tubes. There are archeological evidences that in 1000 BC the Mayans chewed and smoked tobacco leaves mixed with other herbs to be placed on cuts and wounds as medicinal patches. It was no less than a wonder plant.
As the Mayans moved around prehistoric North and South America, they bought with them their precious tobacco plants.
In 1500, a Spanish explorer, Rodrigo de Jerez, stumbled upon a smoking tribe in Cuba and eventually developed the habit. Jerez brought home heaps of tobacco in Spain and people learned how to smoke this wonder plant. In South and Central America, smokers wrapped tobacco using different kinds of plant wrappers but in Spain, maize wrappers became popular. It was only in the 17th century that fine paper was used.
In the beginning of the 17th century, thousands of pounds worth of tobacco plants and leaves were regularly shipped to Europe from North and South America. By the end of the century, the trade amounted to about 38,000,000 pounds. Tobacco was marketed and exported on a large scale.
In 1830, the wonder plant found its way to France and the roll of Tobacco was first called cigarette. Soon, machines were invented and cigarette was mass produced. There was no stopping the Mayan wonder plant from covering the planet.
At the start of the 20th century, only 0.5% of the American population smoked cigarette. In 1965, approximately 50% of all American men and 33% of all American women were smokers. cigarette smoking became immensely popular during the two world wars as soldiers learned to puff tobacco to boost their morale and eventually developed and passed on the habit.
In 1964, the US Surgeon General announced that cigarette smoking caused lung cancer. Several bans, prohibitions, and legislations were enforced to discourage people from getting into the habit. TV and radio ads were banned. Tobacco companies were prohibited from airing TV and radio advertisements and were made to print health warning on each pack of cigarettes they produced.
In the 1970’s, smoking was banned in public areas, airlines and other public forms of transport.
Long before the United States realized the harm of smoking, countries like Canada, Australia, and New Zealand had already implemented textual warnings and graphic visual images to educate people of the harm a cigarette does to the human body.
Today, cigarette TV ads are completely prohibited in several countries, such as Norway, England, Ireland, and Spain, and American states such as New York, Florida, and California.
Despite the on-going fight against cigarette smoking and the documented scientific proof that it leads to lung cancer, the wonder plant all the way from the ancient Mayans is winning the battle. Millions around the globe still enjoy and are still hooked to the habit.
The e cigarette is an alternative to cigarettes. For more information about the electronic cigarette check out the free e-book The Electronic Cigarette. For cigarette accessories check out the e-store The Cigarette Case.