ABSTRACT
It was probably not until the 1570s that tobacco began to enter into consumption patterns outside of North and South America. Its role as a medicine has been outlined in the previous chapter where it was also argued that it was tobacco’s avowed and advertised therapeutic value that made it acceptable in many diverse cultures. An obvious question that presents itself is: when did the underlying reason for tobacco consumption change from therapy to recreation? This is a difficult question to answer with any degree of confidence but, before attempting to do so, it is necessary to outline consumption patterns in more detail.
