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Tobacco |
The prepared leaves of the tobacco plant Nicotiniana tabacam,
used by
terragen mammals as a drug.
The active substance is nicotine, a
cholinergic agonist with mild mood and cognition enhancing effects and
strong addiction potential. The drug is commonly smoked or chewed.
Tobacco was originally used by the humans local to South America, the
use spread worldwide on Earth during the industrial era. Tobacco
production became a major industry, but due to health concerns and the
information era
anti-drug movement also increasingly controversial.
During the 21st century c.e. more and more extensive bans were
instituted,
supported by major international organisations, governments and
pharmaceutical companies. An unintended effect of these bans
(especially
the infamous EU ban 2060-2099 c.e.) was the growth of tobacco
mafias,
illegal organisations exploiting the relatively mild punishments for
tobacco smuggling, the intense demand and the growing influence of the
smoking associations.
The tobacco mafias were often based in libertarian enclaves and
contributed sizeable income.
While the tobacco bans were implemented, the legacy of industrial-era
harsh legislation against mild psychoactive drugs was finally abolished
in most polities. Ironically many of the liberal forces pushing soft
drug legalisation also strongly promoted tobacco prohibition; it took a
generation shift to accept that the methods that did not work for one
problem did not work for the other. The worldwide weakening of national
states (partly due to the growth of enclaves, many tobacco funded) in
the 2080's c.e. also contributed to the legalisation movement as the
local
regulations proved ineffective. The legalisation destroyed the huge
profits of tobacco smuggling, causing the slow decline of many of the
enclaves and production industry. Competition from other drugs,
effective neuropsychological addiction treatments and climate change
made tobacco diminish in importance.
Tobacco smoking never caught on off-world, due to the inherent problems
of smoking in confined space habitats. The exception was the cislunar
colonies, where tobacco chewing and intravenous use was endemic. Among
the shapers the tobacco plant was instead a favorite gengineering
object
for food or other drug production, resulting in the wide variety of
space crops today called baccas.
Tobacco remains sparsely used in the post-expulsion world, mainly
due to its traditional importance as one of the "20 natural drugs" from
Earth.
It is used in religious and historical ceremonies, as an incense or
symbolic drug. Various enhanced variants have been developed and remain
of local importance.
