ABSTRACT
The archeological history of tobacco is sketchy at best, with few ancient records. The oldest evidence of tobacco use comes from a temple in the state of Chiapas, Mexico. Dated ad 432, there is a bas-relief that depicts a priest smoking a pipe during a religious ceremony. No one knows for sure why humans began to use tobacco, but it is clear that it became a major part of life soon after its adoption. It was snuffed, smoked, swallowed, used as an enema and spread over the body. It played a central role in social and religious functions. When Columbus arrived in the New World in 1492, he and his crew became the first Europeans to be exposed to tobacco and the practice of smoking. In spite of the European's early revulsion to tobacco, its potential medical use trumped religious based fears.
