There are many views about tobacco and these have changed over the years as more medical knowledge has become available. Tobacco arrived in Britain in the 16th century by Sir Walter Raleigh. It was initially sold in specialist tobacco shops with many claims made about its good properties. However, it was not long before the clergy and King James came out against this on moral grounds, however, their stance can only be seen as hypercritical when they decided to profit against the use of tobacco by taxing it.
As years went on cigarettes became more and more popular and during the second world war, in particular, there are many instances where our troops were sent cigarettes to keep their morale high. I know as my Dad and Uncle Alec were some of them. There were pictures in the local paper with their photograph thanking the public for these ‘gifts’. Little did they know that there were deadly substances and highly addictive. My father was life long smoker and cigarettes certainly affected his life. With trips in the garden down to the garden shed for a ‘crafty smoke’ to others up on the allotments making full use of their garden sheds in between a little digging and chatting.
It was not really until the 1960′s did it become apparent that tobacco was a deadly killer and even though the governments of the day were raking in a vast fortune the truth had to come out and since then a great deal of attempts have been made to reduce the number of people smoking and nipping down the garden shed for a ‘crafty smoke’. Before then it was promoted as a healthy thing to do and many famous sportsmen endorsed tobacco and cigarettes through advertising
It was not until the 1960s that tobacco smoking was associated with health problems. Until that time tobacco products were often seen as health enhancing and a good way of relaxing. Smoking was even advertised by famous sportsmen. Also cigarette cards were given free with encouraged children to pester their parents to buy more packets of cigarettes so they could make up the set.
In view of the above I’m sure there are some people who see a poetic justice when a large group of tobacco sheds went up in smoke at Windsor Locks, Connecticut. This fire engulfed the tobacco sheds and required over 100 fire fighters from all over the local areas to tackle it. Witnesses claimed they heard propane fuel tanks exploding in the inferno. These gas tanks should really have been kept in a fireproof storage sheds away from any possibility of fire.
O J Thrall& Co, the owners of the tobacco sheds, are located near Bradley International Airport. This airport services the areas of Hartford, Connecticut and Springfield in Massachusetts. (This is always reminds me of the Bee Gees hit record from the 1960′s) By a quirk of fate the sheds were being using for the curing (strange word in connection with tobacco) of tobacco leaves which are used in the outer layers of cigars (they do smell good). Connecticut has been one of main areas for tobacco growing for many centuries.
As I say many people will think this is good thing that this tobacco has been destroyed, as it kills millions of people all over the world. Smokers would probably take the view that it creates jobs and puts money into the local economy but I, as a non-smoker don’t see that. It maybe creates jobs but the money which is raised in taxes in more likely than not spent helping the people who are inflicted with bad health and disease.
