The Use of Tobacco
here is no written record in reference to tobacco prior to the 15th century. However, it is generally acknowledged that indigenous Americans used tobacco as a medicine and smoked tobacco. In 1492, Christopher Columbus (1451–1506) and his crew, when returning to Europe from the Americas, brought the first tobacco leaves and seeds into Europe. In 1560, Jean Nicot (1530–1600), French diplomat and importer, introduced tobacco in France and Portugal. By the end of the 16th century, tobacco use had became a custom among fashionable people in Europe and tobacco was being exported to India, China, and Japan