For many people, smoking is a habit they just can’t quit. Despite the numerous complications in regards to health, having a cigarette or a cigar is many people’s preferred method of winding down. Certain connoisseurs even find the use of cigars and cigarettes to be an art similar to wine-tasting, with different forms of tobacco producing different flavours and experiences that are to be savoured and enjoyed.
For these people there is little sweeter than the taste of an authentic cuban cigar. Due to Cuba’s climate, the tobacco in Cuban cigars takes on a world-renowned flavour, yet due to variables in geo politics and the protection of national biospheres; the ownership of Cuban cigars is frequently restricted in certain parts of the world. Australia happens to be one of them. Today, we’re going to go over the history of tobacco control in Australia, as well as the legality of Cuban cigars.
The Start of Smoking in ‘Straya
Although Cuban cigars are illegal in many parts of the world, that particular development is relatively recent. Smoking in Australia actually goes back to our first nations’ people, who would use the many species of bush tobacco plants to smoke. It was introduced to them in the 18th century by Indonesian fishermen. The first ‘modern’ tobacco use was brought over by British colonials in 1788, with free settlers, officers, and convicts all partaking in a smoking culture that pervaded all classes.
The first tobacco cultivation efforts were established under Governor Lachlan Macquarie on the Emu Plains. However these early crops were unsuccessful. The first successful large-scale tobacco cultivation effort happened in 1852 when Chinese, American, and European immigrants who arrived for the Gold Rush in Victoria established plantations in the Ovens & King River Flats in Wangaratta and the Buckland Valley.
Smoking in the 20th Century
After the first tobacco and cigarette production factories were founded in the 1860s the practice of smoking increased exponentially. By 1900, there were over 600 producers of tobacco products both creating their own products and importing others’.
During the 20th Century, the practise of smoking increased for several reasons. For one thing, there was an increased variety of ways to advertise smoking, and smoking companies began to use their wealth to influence major political parties. Additionally, both world wars saw free cigarettes granted to soldiers as a morale building measure.
However as the saying goes, what comes up must come down.
The Decline of Smoking
Eventually, however, people became aware of the science of smoking. It was soon revealed that tobacco plants contain several chemicals that are harmful to human health. Although this is common knowledge now, back in the 1800s-1900s, it was widely believed that cigarettes were completely harmless—some even said they were good for you.
However as public knowledge increased around the health risks of smoking, the number of actual smokers decreased. However it wasn’t social awareness that killed the presence of Cuban cigars in Australia—it was war.
The communist revolution in 1960s Cuba resulted in a strict trade embargo with the US. During the revolution, President John F. Kennedy ceased trade with Cuba, which then forced political allies of the USA to do the same. Because of this, Cuban cigars are still illegal in America, and although they aren’t illegal in Australia, there are strict rules that have to be followed when importing them.
Because of this, in modern times Cuban cigars—just cigars in general—are somewhat of a rarity in Australia. They’re a luxury item, bought by connoisseurs and people that appreciate the flavour of cigar tobacco. However, cigarette smoking is fairly common though nowhere near what it used to be.
Smoking Today
As stated above, although smoking is still alive and well in Australia, there are far less smokers here than there used to be. In fact, Australia is the current leader in the world when it comes to tobacco regulation and anti-smoking sentiment.
Nevertheless, for the artisan and those with a taste for the finer things, a good-quality cigar or the occasional cigarette is a vice that, when engaged in minimally, can produce a momentary relief from stress and worry. For those educated in the growing, curing, and production of tobacco and tobacco products, smoking a cigar is like examining a masterpiece to an art critic.
Although Tobacco is heavily controlled and regulated in Australia, we do have a rich history of our own in the smoking industry, and smokers of all kinds can find the cigar or cigarette of their desires here. It’s just a matter of knowing where to look.
