Who was the first smoker?

Tough one, as tribes in the Americas were probably puffing away whilst Europeans had only got as far as smoking kippers and cheese (smoking as in non-inhaling of course!). However, there is one European man credited with being the very first European tobacco smoker.

His name was Rodrigo de Jerez, and he hailed from Ayamonte, Spain. He was lucky enough to be a crewman of Christopher Columbus on his very first voyage to the Americas in 1492. They stopped off in Cuba, looking for the Emperor of China. Aside from the fact that they were over 2000 miles out, they did discover something else.

They recorded the natives making tubes of palm leaves, which were filled with dried tobacco, from which they would 'drink' the smoke out. This was the first cigar known to the West.

So what about Rodrigo? Well, he and Columbus returned triumphant to spain, with details of their new land. ANd whn Rodrigo returned back to Ayamonte, he began smoking the first cigars smoked in Europe. His townfolk thought he was crazy, and felt uneasy seeing him surrounded by clouds and clouds of smoke. He was locked away in prison for being sinful, but in seven years time, smoking had become extremely popular, and he was released.