History of snuff – Of “medicine” to the global epidemic

Inhaling the smoke of medicinal and aromatic plants for religious, magical and healing is as old as man. But the first news about the snuff is 1492, when the Spanish come to America and find that its inhabitants used to “numb the meat, getting drunk and not feel tired” in the words of Fray Bartolomé de las Casas.

Soon after the first victories and the final installation in those new territories, the conquerors began to feel strange males (the worst of which was boredom). Seeing that the natives aspired a mysterious smoke to alleviate their suffering and certain diseases, test and eventually ended up becoming accustomed to their use, to the point of becoming dependent entirely of snuff, as also relates Fray Bartolomé de las Casas, who after reprimand for consuming snuff soldiers received in response was “not his hand to take leave.”
The landing of snuff in Europe

Probably not Columbus himself who brought the first seeds. But, undoubtedly, were the soldiers and sailors returning home who spread their consumption levels and low-level port economy.

They soon began importing large quantities, and soon its cultivation expanded dramatically to the point that in the seventeenth century even exceeded the tomato and potato plants also in the Americas.
Let the world

The small size of their seeds favored its spread throughout the world. During the sixteenth century the Portuguese took him to Africa and China, and Jewish merchants from the Mediterranean to Turkey, from where it passed into Asia.
Healing Properties and demonic

Since its first introduction up to the eighteenth century snuff is gradually spreading to all levels of society, probably helped by the medicinal properties, almost magical, that are attributed to the point of reaching recommended as first-line asthma medicine.

But it was also seen as something demonic, as was said, turned into puppets to their consumers. Therefore, during the sixteenth century were issued recommendations against their use and were punished with fines. But their consumption, despite everything, he continued to spread and by the end of the sixteenth century had been accepted without question by the European aristocracy. He began to dawn that has the special ability to penetrate the snuff everywhere and consumed anywhere. Again, more measures to curb its consumption: a Turkish sultan condemned to be beheaded anyone who consume snuff in public, and in 1642 became Pope Urban VIII to make the excommunication of those who use it in church: faithful and priests .

But all that did not stop after consumption of the eighteenth century underwent a progressive and relentless growth, now made exclusively for social and pleasurable.

The cigarette making machine

The first consumers of snuff taking it sucked and powder, or by wrapping the leaves in cigar-shaped (the most superficial layer, which provided cover to snuff, it was a corn husk), while chewing snuff was more like of masons and mariners, and that allowed them to keep idle hands and not arson.

But the consumption that prevailed until the early nineteenth century was that of powdered snuff. From then be replaced by a pipe, cigar and smoking hand-rolled by the user or cigarette (which was the name of the workers working the LIAB) of manufacturing companies. But for a short time, because the middle of this century invented the cigarette rolling machine that will allow mass production, and the great possibility to expand and reach new markets for the newly created tobacco companies.

Thus, snuff, considered only as a habit again, extends throughout the world, affecting mainly to countries with higher economic power.

The great business of a serious health problem

We reached the twentieth century. With industrialization, snuff has become big business. The major tobacco companies are consolidated and are fueling a growing global consumption with innovative advertising campaigns that subtly make the snuff in an excellent and pleasant way of human communication.

By mid-century voices begin to sound the alarm on the dangers smoking has on health, and begin to limit their consumption in public spaces, and the advertising. Since the sixties the avalanche of scientific studies showing that consumption is not a habit but an addiction is the leading cause of preventable death in developed countries, is as unstoppable as the continued growth in global consumption of snuff and enrichment industry, which at the end of the century has already selected new “victims”, which directs their advertising and their efforts: women, youth and the population of developing countries.
A bit of vocabulary

The name “snuff” comes from the cane inhaler that Indians of the island of Spanish (one of the first discovered American territories) used to inhale the smoke.

The word “cigar” has its origin in the appearance of the first pure. Its shape and color reminiscent of grasshoppers or crickets.

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