The tobacco industry involves the production and sale of tobacco products. It is controversial due to the addictive nature of tobacco and its link to health problems, including cancer. The World Health Organization has initiated a treaty limiting tobacco production and sales, signed by over 100 countries. Tobacco remains a political issue globally, and the entertainment industry has historically promoted it.
The tobacco industry is an industry that manufactures and sells tobacco products. Any person or business that grows, supplies, ships, advertises, or distributes tobacco or tobacco products is directly involved in the tobacco industry. Tobacco became an important commodity during the 1500s when the Spanish introduced the crop to Western Europeans; in the 1600s, when colonists arrived in what is now America, tobacco became a major export. For years, the tobacco industry has been one of the major agricultural industries on the planet. Tobacco grows in warm, humid environments, so it can be grown globally.
The tobacco industry is controversial, because tobacco is highly addictive and connections have been made between tobacco use and death. Those active in the tobacco industry advocate tobacco production as an essential part of the global economy. Others work to show the harmful effects of tobacco use.
The World Health Organization has concluded that half of all tobacco users will die from tobacco-related causes. They also argue that tobacco can cause lingering health problems that translate into higher health care costs. There is a strong link between tobacco and cancer, and many believe that smoking is a contributing factor in the development of lung cancer and oral cancer. Smokeless tobacco is not immune from the struggle.
Controversy over the tobacco industry escalated in the late 1900s and early 2000s, so the World Health Organization initiated a Comprehensive Tobacco Control Treaty. The treaty limiting nearly every aspect of tobacco production and sales has been signed by more than 100 countries around the world. China, India, Brazil, and the United States are leaders in raw tobacco production, and tobacco restrictions can alter total sales and production for these countries. Sales are impaired by high taxation in many of the countries that have signed the treaty. Meanwhile, many major tobacco companies have been in and out of litigation and lawsuits.
There is a significant amount of controversy surrounding tobacco, so it has become a political issue globally. The United States and Canada are among those countries that have been embroiled in political discord over how tobacco is used and produced. While tobacco is not as widely advertised in the early 21st century, the entertainment industry has often been used in the 20th century to promote tobacco. Hollywood stars and other celebrities were often shown smoking in films. After anti-smoking groups became a major anti-tobacco force, many actors and directors began to insist that they either not use tobacco or not be seen using it.
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