Tobacco

History and Traditional Use

• Tobacco became popular as a trade item after the arrival of Europeans in the Americas.
• Tobacco production became a major industry in Europe and its colonies by 1700.
• Tobacco has been used in the Americas since at least 1400 BC.
• Many Native American tribes traditionally grow and use tobacco.
• It was smoked socially and ceremonially, often to seal agreements.
• Some Native cultures consider tobacco a gift from the Creator with spiritual and medicinal properties.
• Indigenous communities have used tobacco for healing for thousands of years.

Popularization

• Tobacco became increasingly popular as a trade item after European arrival in the Americas.
• Thomas Harriot believed tobacco opened all the pores and preserved health.
• Production of tobacco for smoking, chewing, and snuffing became a major industry in Europe and its colonies.
• Cuban cigars became world-famous in the 18th century.
• Cigarettes became popular in the late 19th century with the invention of automated production machines.

Contemporary Issues

• Tobacco was condemned as a health hazard in the mid-20th century.
• It became recognized as a cause of cancer and other diseases.
• The 1998 Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement settled lawsuits by U.S. states.
• Tobacco companies were accused of manipulating nicotine content in the 1990s.
• The World Health Organization rallied countries to sign the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in 2003.

Types and Varieties of Tobacco

• Aromatic fire-cured tobacco, brightleaf tobacco, broadleaf tobacco, burley tobacco, and Cavendish are different types of tobacco.
• Criollo tobacco, Dokha, Perique tobacco, shade tobacco, and Turkish tobacco are other varieties of tobacco.

Production and Harvesting Methods

• Tobacco cultivation involves sowing seeds, fertilizing, and transplanting young plants.
• Mechanical planters were invented to automate the planting process.
• Different curing methods, such as air-curing, fire-curing, and flue-curing, produce different flavors and nicotine levels.
• Global tobacco leaf production increased by 40% between 1971 and 1997, with developing nations contributing the most.
• China, India, Brazil, and Zimbabwe are the top producers of tobacco.
• China has a State Tobacco Monopoly Administration that controls tobacco production, marketing, and imports/exports.
• India has a significant number of registered tobacco farmers and tobacco product manufacturing facilities.

Tobacco Mentions

Tobacco Data Sources