Smoking, a habit condemned by health care providers, was once a customary practice. People have smoked throughout the centuries as a source of pleasure, with few questioning its negative effects. Smoking has evolved from a ceremonial or medicinal practice into a widespread social habit, eventually becoming the addictive health threat that it is today.
Early Use
Tobacco is native to the western continents of North and South America. Early European explorers, including Columbus, were given tobacco as gifts, but they initially saw no use for the leaves. Columbus and his men took notice of natives of the Americas smoking tobacco on one of their voyages, and it slowly spread to Europe for its medicinal properties. Tobacco was used as an antiseptic, an appetite suppressant, and was even recommended by physicians as a treatment for the plague.
Cash Crops
As Europeans settled in America in the early colonies, growing tobacco became a source of income, and plantations of the cash crop grew throughout the centuries. A mixture of cut and dried tobacco combined with additives and rolled into a small paper sleeve became known as the cigarette. In 1839, James Bonsack created a machine that could roll 200 cigarettes a day. Coupled with early advertising campaigns, the practice of smoking grew as cigarettes became much more readily available.
Escalating Habit
Until the late 19th century, smoking was a practice almost universally done by men. In the early 20th century, the number of women who smoked began to rise, due to campaigns about the glamor of smoking. Smoking became a common practice; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says annual per capita cigarette use rose from 54 cigarettes in 1900 to 4,245 cigarettes in 1963. People smoked everywhere, and advertisements for cigarettes were found in newspapers, magazines and on billboards.
Health Warnings
In 1964, the surgeon general of the United States, Luther L. Terry, M.D., released a statement warning the public of the dangers of cigarette smoking. The conclusion stated that smoking was a cause of lung and laryngeal cancers, and was responsible for chronic bronchitis. It was the first in a series of events that sought to decrease cigarette smoking by the American public. Physicians had recognized the negative consequences associated with smoking and begun a campaign to promote better health.
Today
Today, it's a well-known fact that smoking is the most avoidable cause of death. An increase in taxes on cigarettes has prevented many Americans from smoking, and campaigns targeting young adults work to prevent youths from beginning the practice. As Americans continue to smoke, campaigns and legislation carry on promoting the health benefits of quitting.
References
- Tobacco.org: The Tobacco Timeline
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: History of the Surgeon General's Reports on Smoking and Tobacco Use
- Random History: A History of Smoking from Ritual to Cigarette
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Achievements in Public Health: Tobacco Use 1900-1999
- American Lung Association: Trends in Tobacco Use
