When the Europeans first arrived in the Americas in the late 15th century, they were apparently baffled by the act of smoking, which was regular among the indigenous peoples there, but a completely alien concept to the West. Smoking in the Americas dates back as far as 5,000 BC, with tobacco an important substance in the spiritual rituals conducted by shamans.  The Europeans soon became fascinated by smoking, and tobacco smoking soon became a popular recreational habit, which set the tone for the health problems that it would later cause around the world – prior to that time, smoking was primarily... Read More