Beliefs

Smoking at early age was thought to be healthy. People thought that herbs and leaves helped medically for thousands of years. “Nicotine is named after 16th‑century French scholar Jean Nicot, who promoted its medicinal qualities, and in the 1570s Spanish doctor Nicolas Monardes recommended tobacco as a cure for 36 ailments including toothache, worms, halitosis… and cancer” (BBC). Nicotine from tobacco was thought to be healthy when it was first introduced into the world. It was thought to relax and calm people. It was thought to help people rest and was often given to the sick. In 1960, people started to understand that smoking is bad for your health. This belief strongly grew until the late 80s. During this time was the introduction of e-cigarettes and vaping. This was an alternative with nicotine but no smoke. People now however have begun to realize that nicotine is bad for your brain because of its addictive properties. (NASEM)