Tobacco

            
             Since the beginning of time man has been intrigued by fire. This natural inquisitive sensation has lead to the exploration of the many uses of fire and heat. Man has developed from fire how to cook, build, fight, and even inhale. The history of burning different herbs and plants is an ancient one. With such a multitude of different species of plants on the earth there are a wide variety of effects that can be drawn from smoking them. Ancient peoples discovered this many years ago and tested thousands of plants for their different healing and remedial properties. During such a search among the many plants used, tobacco was discovered. It is believed the tobacco plant as we know it began to grow in 6000 BCE in the Americas. However its use was not discovered by the local inhabitants until as late as 1 BCE. The use off tobacco spread across America and soon it was growing all over the Americas. This tradition began to spread to other cultures and eventually Europe, Africa, and Asia where it became very popular as well. Today Tobacco has become part of an international culture. Its use can be found in even the poorest of countries where bread and water are scarce. Due to the extremely popular nature of tobacco use it has developed into a multi-billion dollar industry around the globe. The industry is based upon a few large corporations split into several brand names and is very competitive in nature. Due to the large size of the industry the government is forced to regulate and investigate the sale of such products. In addition due the fact that it has recently been discovered to be hazardous to one's health additional regulations have been placed on the industry. Tobacco has, in effect, provided a large world market and it has fueled many political and cultural debates.
             The history of tobacco use stems back to the Americas. As previously stated, it is believed that the tobacco plant that we know today began to grow in America as early as 6000 BCE.