Tobacco
The English word tobacco originates from the Spanish tabaco, which traces its roots to the Taíno language of the Caribbean. Bartolomé de las Casas recorded in 1552 that the term meant a roll of tobacco leaves. Oviedo described it as a Y-shaped pipe used for sniffing smoke instead. Similar words existed in Spanish and Portuguese from 1410 referring to medicinal herbs. These terms likely derived from an Arabic word dating back to the ninth century. That Arabic word referred to various herbs before evolving to mean tobacco specifically.
Cultivation sites in Mexico date back to 1400, 1000 BCE according to archaeological evidence. Native American tribes carried tobacco in pouches as trade items across Northeast Woodlands cultures. Francisco Hernández de Toledo brought seeds to Spain in 1559 under King Philip II's orders. Jamestown used tobacco as currency after the plant became popular among English colonists. The expansion of demand tied directly to slavery history in the Caribbean regions. Thomas Harriot claimed the plant opened all pores and preserved native bodies from grievous diseases during his 1585 expedition to Roanoke Island.
Seeds were initially scattered onto soil until flea beetles destroyed half US crops in 1876. Modern plants grow tall before being transplanted into fields using tools like curved wooden pegs or deer antlers. Farmers harvest entire plants by cutting stalks at ground level with specialized knives. Brightleaf varieties ripen from bottom to top allowing serial harvesting of volado, seco, and ligero leaves. Air-cured tobacco dries over four to eight weeks while fire-cured takes three days to ten weeks depending on process. Flue-cured methods heat barns without smoke exposure raising temperature slowly over about one week. China produced 2.1 million hectares of tobacco leaf in peak global production years.
Tobacco contains nicotine which acts as a powerful neurotoxin to insects but affects human brains differently. Polonium-210 radioactive trace contaminants build up in lungs causing bronchial cancer risks. A UCLA study estimated radiation from twenty-five years smoking causes over 120 deaths per thousand smokers. The World Health Organization named tobacco use the world's single greatest preventable cause of death in 2008. Tobacco kills more than 8 million people annually including 1.3 million non-smokers exposed to secondhand smoke. Chemicals like carbon monoxide cyanide and carcinogens prove heart lung diseases and cancer causation factors.
Global tobacco market reached US$760 billion excluding China in 2010 according to estimates. Tax revenues totaled approximately $269 billion during 2013, 2014 fiscal periods worldwide. China founded State Tobacco Monopoly Administration in 1982 controlling all production marketing imports exports. STMA contributes 12% to national income while collecting tax revenues increasing from 740 to 842 billion yuan between 2014 and 2016. India generates roughly 20 billion rupees annually through employment income government revenue streams. Bhutan remains only country where sales remain illegal due to health concerns. New York pack-a-day smokers spend around $4,690.25 yearly on cigarettes alone.
Continue Browsing
Common questions
What is the origin of the English word tobacco?
The English word tobacco originates from the Spanish tabaco, which traces its roots to the Taíno language of the Caribbean. Bartolomé de las Casas recorded in 1552 that the term meant a roll of tobacco leaves while Oviedo described it as a Y-shaped pipe used for sniffing smoke instead.
When and where did tobacco cultivation begin according to archaeological evidence?
Cultivation sites in Mexico date back to 1400 or 1000 BCE according to archaeological evidence. Native American tribes carried tobacco in pouches as trade items across Northeast Woodlands cultures before Francisco Hernández de Toledo brought seeds to Spain in 1559 under King Philip II's orders.
How does tobacco affect human health and what are the specific risks associated with smoking?
Tobacco contains nicotine which acts as a powerful neurotoxin to insects but affects human brains differently. Polonium-210 radioactive trace contaminants build up in lungs causing bronchial cancer risks and the World Health Organization named tobacco use the world's single greatest preventable cause of death in 2008.
Which country controls all tobacco production marketing imports and exports through a state monopoly?
China founded State Tobacco Monopoly Administration in 1982 controlling all production marketing imports exports. STMA contributes 12% to national income while collecting tax revenues increasing from 740 to 842 billion yuan between 2014 and 2016.
What is the current global market value of tobacco excluding China and how many people die annually from its use?
Global tobacco market reached US$760 billion excluding China in 2010 according to estimates. Tobacco kills more than 8 million people annually including 1.3 million non-smokers exposed to secondhand smoke.