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A
ccording to scholars on the subject, Tobacco has been known to the wider world see Australia he found the native Aborigines, in
many moons ago the Khoikhoi since the voyage of Columbus, when, upon arresting similarity to the natives that Columbus
(previously known as the Hottentots) of landing in modern day Cuba, two adventurous observed, to be wholly dedicated to tobacco. As
the southern regions of Africa used to practice members of his crew decided to join the natives Cook noted with amazement, Aborigines were a
a most interesting and macabre right of passage in their curious custom of burning a ‘weed-like completely nomadic people who displayed almost
for male puberty. As the nomadic Khoi relied thing’ and ‘drinking’ the smoke. Europeans had no penchant for cultivation, material goods, or
heavily on their hunting skills for survival, never seen anything being taken into the body permanent shelter. The trinkets and gifts that
some among them believed that a reduction in in such a manner, and had absolutely no customs usually triggered valuable trade for such expeditions
testicular influence would result in a more agile, related to the act of smoking. The sight may have as Cooks, were completely useless in Australia.
and therefore successful, hunter. To this end, on amazed the crew as much as finally finding land. The Aborigines showed no interest at all in
the day when puberty was first recognised, a boy The natives believed that the weed was from God, anything Cook’s men brought out to barter with.
would be handed a burning cigar, and would enjoy and incorporated the use of tobacco into almost
his first ever smoke as his mother gently placed
one of his testicles in her mouth, and immediately
all aspects of their culture. Tobacco especially
played a key role in ceremonies, and reading its
Snus: a call to the EU
chomped down with one clean, severing bite. smoke informed a viewer on such topics as: when
After this assumingly distressing introduction to harvest crops, whether to wage a fresh war, or
to smoking, an elder male would urinate on the take a nap.
boy, followed by a stuffing of his recently evicted Completely independently from the natives
scrota with animal fat and healing herbs. That was in North America, another ancient band of
a smoke truly earned. Perhaps muse over that the peoples, many thousands of miles away, had
next time you feel sorry for yourself about a faulty also discovered the power of nicotine. When
lighter delaying your first smoke of the day. James Cook came ashore as the first outsider to
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