TobaccoThe word tobacco originally comes from Tabaco, the Spanish word for Taino (Carson 1). In the first century, American Indians began using tobacco in many ways, including religion and medicine (“History of Tobacco” 1). Taino was what Native Americans called tobacco rolls. When Columbus arrived in the West Indies, he found inhabitants smoking tobacco rolls, called Taino (Carson 1). He was offered dried tobacco leaves as gifts by the natives (“History of tobacco” 1). The natives believed that "drinking smoke", or the act of Taino smoking, was relaxing. Columbus took seeds from tobacco plants, and Spanish colonies began growing the plant in large quantities. The first time tobacco was grown commercially was in 1610 in Jamestown, Virginia, by John Rolfe, an English settler. Two years later, he found a way to cure tobacco for export to other countries. The amount of tobacco exported quickly made Jamestown a tobacco powerhouse (Carson 1). It soon became a cash crop, and large export demand spurred the need for slave labor in America (“A Brief History of Tobacco” 1). Tobacco has grown in popularity in Europe due to its healing properties. At that time, tobacco was believed to cure bad breath, relieve pain, and cure cancer (“History of Tobacco” 2). Little did they know that hundreds of years later, tobacco would become the leading cause of preventable deaths (“Cancer” 1). Smoking causes cancer, COPD, strokes, and heart attacks, among many other health risks. Secondhand smoke and smoking during pregnancy cause childhood diseases and conditions that children will live with for the rest of their lives (“Nicotine Dependence Center” 1). As the Mayo Clinic points out, “Almost 21…half of the sheet…further out than that profile. But that doesn't mean they don't have their own risk profile” (qtd in Wanjek 4). In fact, a new study has shown that the nicotine in e-cigarettes may contribute to heart disease (Christensen 1). Furthermore, there is still some skepticism about whether or not e-cigarettes help smokers quit (Olson B5). Many people who switched from traditional cigarettes to e-cigarettes have become hooked on e-cigarettes or have returned to smoking cigarettes (Wanjek 5). However, Matt Black, president of the Minnesota Vapers Advocacy Group, has sworn by the e-cigarette as a way to quit smoking. He states: “For 17 years I was constantly hand to mouth (with a cigarette). I was blowing out the smoke. I breathed differently. All of these things play a role in that addiction. We have found a way to maintain these habits in a way that won't kill us" (qtd in Olson B5).