Everywhere you go in the UK, it seems like there’s a new way to get a cigarette. Whether it’s smoking, vaping or snus, it’s all the same – a nicotine fix. But amongst all these options, have you ever stopped to ask yourself how cigarettes came to be as popular as they are today?
Well, in this article, I’ll be taking a closer look at the history of cigarettes in the UK, exploring how they developed from a medical product to a widely used, yet highly controversial, form of addiction.
The modern-day cigarette first appeared in the UK around the 1850s. Back then, a French doctor named Jean Nicot de Villemain, who had recently moved to London, began to popularise smoking among the well-to-do members of the aristocracy. He argued that the tobacco smoke could be used to cure a range of medical illnesses, including the plague!
At first, cigarettes were seen as something of a luxury item and were mainly smoked by the richest members of society. They were not yet seen as the widely available, cheap form of nicotine they would become in the future. In fact, until the 1880s, only around one percent of the population smoked, with pipe smoking being much more popular.
As the century progressed, however, smoking began to become more and more popular. In the early 1900s, tobacco companies began mass-producing cigarettes and making them widely available for the first time. By the 1930s, cigarettes were increasingly popular and the use of tobacco began to skyrocket.
In the following years, consumption of cigarettes continued to rise. Advertising began to play a major role, with companies often using all sorts of tricks to make smoking look attractive. Celebrities, including famous film stars, were often seen puffing away in front of the cameras. Boys and girls, adults and children – it seemed like everyone was suddenly smoking!
As time went on, however, the public’s attitude towards cigarettes began to change. The dangers of smoking began to become apparent, with medical studies highlighting the huge risks associated with long-term use of tobacco products. In the mid-1970s, the UK government started to take action, introducing bans on tobacco advertising and increasing the tax on cigarettes.
Today, smoking rates in the UK are now at an all-time low. While there is still a small percentage of the population that smokes (around 15%), the majority of the population are now aware of the risks associated with cigarette use and many are actively choosing not to smoke.
Despite this, cigarettes are still widely available throughout the UK and, while smoking rates have declined in recent years, their use still carries significant public health risks.
In the past, cigarettes may have been seen as a fashionable form of addiction, but today it’s clear that their use has no real benefits. Nowadays, it’s all about making a conscious decision to stay away from them – to stay away from nicotine and to stay healthy.
So there you have it – the story of cigarettes in the UK. It’s a story of how a medical product quickly evolved into one of the most commonly used – and dangerous – forms of addiction in the UK.