The saga of tobacco

Tobacco was believed to be a sacred plant and was used as a medicine by the medicine men and priests. It was also used to establish communication with the spirits and appease pain.

The tobacco plant originated form America. In 1492, Christopher Columbus the discoverer of America discovered tobacco in Cuba and imported tobacco for the first time to Europe.

Tobacco seeds were brought back to France for the first time in 1556 by André THEVET, monk from the Angoulême region where the queen was convinced of the medicinal properties of the plant. The use of Tobacco was promoted by Jean Nicot de Villemain, France’s ambassador to Portugal in 1560. By the efforts of Jean Nicot for the first time queen Catherine of Medici agreed to use tobacco powder as medicine in order to treat the painful migraines of her son François II.

The treatment was successful and tobacco became the “Queen's herb” whose sale in powder form was restricted to apothecaries. In homage to Jean NICOT, tobacco was henceforth called “Nicotiana Tabacum”. Then in 16th century tobacco became a fashion for Europeans.

It was smoked in regular parties and during ceremonies. Tobacco was produced commercially for the first time in the British colony of Virginia in 1612. In the cultivation of the crop the labors used were slaves brought form native countries.

Within seven years from that time Virginia became the largest exporters of commercial tobacco in the British colony.

Earlier tobacco was produced primarily for pipe smoking, chewing and snuff.

In 1600s cigarettes came into being after the civil wars in America which introduced a specially cured yellow leaf known as "bright" tobacco which is grown in Virginia and north California. In the beginning and role cigarettes were in the market which produced at the rate of three per minute.

In 1880 the first working cigarette making machine was invented which could produce 200 cigarettes a minute Which gave pace to the cigarette industry and now the fastest machines can produce 16000 cigarettes a minute. Making so many inventions in the tobacco industry the zygote of tobacco is an extremely labor intensive job.

References:
http://www.france-tabac.com/us/histoire.htm

Golden Leaf Barren Harvest

The First Step Towards The Beginning

Save the children , Save the environment and Save me- finally the voice reached the deaf ears and banged the door of their souls.

It was a scream of a child who has been suffocated and choked by the tobacco smoke and was waiting a just hearing to save his life and the life of others who want to step into this beautiful world.

This was an appeal from the environment and nature who cannot bear the pain of the rape of the forest cover and land any more. Above all it was the voice of we the people who care for the future of both and the present of our selves.

According to the constitution of India fundamental rights Art 21 says that none shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty except according to procedures established by law. Article 47 requires the State to endeavor to improve public health as among its primary duties.

Tobacco smoke is proven to be damaging the health of the non-smokers involuntarily. Cigarettes biddi and other smoked tobacco products are responsible for the Second Hand Smoke (SHS), also know as Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS), which is a mixture of the smoke given off by the burning end of a cigarette, pipe or cigar and the smoke exhaled from the lungs of smokers.

Unfortunately, It is involuntarily inhaled by nonsmokers, lingers in the air hours after cigarettes have been extinguished. SHS has been classified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a known cause of cancer in humans (Group A carcinogen).

According to Dr. K. Srinath Reddy, President, Public Health Foundation of India and a renowned cardiologist, "Tobacco smoke is a lethal weapon. Second Hand Smoke is an indiscriminate and inconsiderate assault on the health of non-smoker.

Keeping all the damages in view "The cigarettes and other tobacco product " Act was brought in front in 2003 but couldn't be implemented then due to some reasons. It took almost five years to decide upon the act and finally except some of the regulations of the act for eg. pictorial warnings on the packets of the tobacco products and a few others , the act has been implemented on a very historic and appropriate day - 2nd of October The Gandhi Jayanti.

According to this act smoking has been banned in all public places, school premises, hospitals, health care centers, public traveling, offices outdoor and indoor. The fine of 200 rs will be charged from the people who will not obey the rules initially but it can be increased to 1000rs in the future.

Almost 80 countries except India smoking is banned in public places, restaurants,hospitals , cultural centers, public transportation, work places, pubs , bars, private clubs, hotels, libraries , shopping malls,conference centers, sports areas, community halls, government buildings, schools,entertainment outlets and casinos. Bhutan is the first country where there is a national ban on the sale of tobacco products. Smoking in public places is iilegal in Bhutan since 22 February 2005.

These decisions are the result of the thoughts of the wise men all over the world who have realized the emergence of the ban on tobacco and related products and deply felt the pain and agony of the tobacco victims.