The word "tobacco" itself (lat. nicotiana tabacum), it may be, originates from Tobago island name. According to Spanish seamen stories that came in 1492 to the shore of present Central America with Columbus's expedition, with word "tobacco" local people called big convoluted leafs that they used for ritual smoking. But from botany course you may find out that it is solanaceous plant which in dried form is used for smoking.

Later Portuguese and Spaniards have brought tobacco leafs and seeds in Europe and then Europeans also started to raise tobacco.

From second half of 16th century tobacco started quickly to gain popularity as medicinal plant, almost panacea. People took snuff, tobacco was chewed, smoked; it was mixed with different substances and was consumed to treat headaches and toothache, cold, skin and infectious diseases. In 1571 Spanish doctor Nicholas Mondares wrote a book about salutiferous plants of the New World. According to doctor's words, tobacco can treat 36 diseases. In 1558 Virginia resident Tomas Harriet began to propagandize daily tobacco smoking as way to general health improvement but he himself shortly died of cancer. In healing properties of tobacco recognition Europeans unexpected and in whole have agreed with Indians, who in general considered tobacco as gift of Gods.

At the beginning of 17th Century on territory of modern America, mainly in English colonies, appeared also other tobacco plantation.

In 18th century cigars were quite popular and they were smoked practically in every court. To Russian empress Ekaterina II were sent cigars that were decorated with silk ribbons for her gentle queen's fingers not to touch tobacco leafs, but some similarities of this ribbons we see on modern cigars.

On East in Muslim countries appeared devices for tobacco smoking in which smoke was passed through water - hookahs.