The cigarette, such as contemporaries used to see and use it, appeared only 2-3 centuries ago. But smoking devices like a cigarette have been used since ancient times by the inhabitants of the American continent.
What is a cigarette
The word cigarette has French roots and literally translates as a small cigar. Essentially, a cigarette is shredded tobacco leaves and stems, pressed into a thin tube and wrapped in thin paper. Each manufacturer of tobacco products uses a certain type of paper and raw tobacco, and the cost and even popularity of cigarettes directly depends on their quality. A true connoisseur can easily distinguish a bad product by its appearance, indicate where and when it was produced and by which manufacturer.
When the first cigarette appeared
If we talk about the form and method of smoking tobacco, the first cigarette was made by the ancient Indians, who wrapped shredded tobacco in corn leaves. Often, instead of tobacco, they used dried straw of cereal plants or linden leaves, herbs.
The custom of inhaling the smoke of plants was brought to the European continent, of course, by the discoverer of America, Columbus. Smoking was available only to aristocrats and was not yet such an addiction as it is now.
Mass production of cigarettes began in the most aristocratic country in the world - England, where the first cigarette factory was opened. But the machine for the production of cigarettes was invented by an American, of course, of European origin.
In Europe and Asia, among ordinary people, cigarettes began their triumphant journey during the Russo-Turkish War. The soldiers in the trenches did not have enough time for long smoke breaks and began hastily wrapping tobacco in scraps of newspaper or paper cartridges for gunpowder.
How the cigarette conquered the world
Initially, it was not known about tobacco addiction, and it is thanks to this that the cigarette very quickly conquered almost the whole world and does not give up its positions for many years. Already by the time of the outbreak of World War II, it began to be included in the obligatory set of food products for soldiers of many armies, and it had nothing to do with food. Addiction to tobacco in those days was not considered harmful and was not associated with any diseases. But less than 50 years later, medical experts have identified its direct relationship to the increase in the number of deaths from lung diseases. By that time, the cigarette had won the love of not only men, but also women, and even became a kind of sign of prestige.
Smoking is not so popularized among contemporaries, in many countries a ban, fines and other restrictions have been introduced. But the cigarette is in no hurry to give up its positions and its fans still do not part with it, despite its rather high cost and danger to health.
