tobacco

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Any of a group of large-leaved plants belonging to the nightshade family, native to tropical parts of the Americas. The species Nicotiana tabacum is widely cultivated in warm, dry climates for use in cigars and cigarettes, and in powdered form as snuff. (Genus Nicotiana, family Solanaceae.) When it is smoked, it burns and the smoke is inhaled.

The leaves are cured, or dried, and matured in storage for two to three years before use. Introduced to Europe as a medicine in the 16th century, tobacco has been recognized from the 1950s as a major health hazard; see cancer. Burning tobacco gives off around 4,000 different compounds, at least 60 of which are cancerous. The leaves also yield nicotine, a colourless oil, one of the most powerful poisons known, and addictive in humans. It is used in insecticides.

Worldwide, the tobacco conglomerations make a net profit of US$6 billion each year. A US Supreme Court decision in 1992 ruled that tobacco companies can be held legally responsible for the dangerous effects of smoking on health; conglomerations spend US$50 million a year on legal advice to avoid paying out compensation to victims. However, in March 1996, the Liggett Group became the first tobacco company to agree to settle smoking-related claims.

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