when did people start using tobacco smoking A brief history of smoking

[21] Many ancient civilizations such as the Babylonians, the Indians, and the Chinese burned incense during religious rituals

cartouche on the lower right-hand corner of the Fry-Jefferson map of Virginia, showing tobacco hogsheads being inspected and shipped overseas Source: Library of Congress, A map of the most inhabited part of Virginia containing the whole province of Maryland with part of Pensilvania, New Jersey and North Carolina

"Effect of cigar smoking on carboxyhemoglobin and plasma nicotine concentrations in primary pipe and cigar smokers and ex-cigarette smokers"

Competition for that title comes from cigarette manufacturing in China, where production of the dominant Hongta ("Red Pagoda") brand is concentrated in the city of Yuxi