History of tobacco

Part of a series on
Tobacco
History History of tobacco
Chemistry Tobacco Smoke
Biology Nicotiana (Nicotiana tabacum) Nicotine Tobacco diseases Types
Personal and social effects Health effects Prevalence of consumption Marketing Art Tobacco and other drugs Control Religious views Politics Smoking Tobacconist
Production Cultivation Curing Industry Products
v t e

Tobacco was long used by various indigenous groups that lived in the Americas. The Columbian exchange introduced tobacco to the Europeans, and it became an addictive, lucrative and heavily traded commodity. Following the Industrial Revolution, cigarettes became hugely popular worldwide. In the mid-20th century, medical research demonstrated severe negative health effects of tobacco smoking such as lung cancer, which led to governments adopting policies to force a sharp decline in tobacco use.