Tobacco was brought to Europe 500 years ago by Columbus. In other parts of the world it has been known much longer.Tobacco has been used as a medical plant, as well as for rituals and pleasure - and the tobacco plant has been viewed as both the work of the Devil and as God's gift to man.Over centuries tobacco has played a central part in European culture across class barriers, generation gaps and borders. Tobacco has also left its hallmarks on the development of trade, craft and industry.

British American Tobacco Japan (BATJ) is busy catering to the will of the Japanese people while attempting to temper the regulatory decisions of the Japanese government. Having been tasked with providing smoking materials and accessories to the country's approximately 32 million smokers, BATJ also has its hand in helping to persuade or dissuade the government on taxation and regulations concerning the marketing and consumption of tobacco products. The more than 20-year-old subsidiary of British American Tobacco has 13 regional offices about Japan.

Rothmans company owns 60% of Rothmans, Benson & Hedges (RBH). RBH, Canada's #2 tobacco firm (Imperial Tobacco Canada is #1), makes and distributes cigarettes and roll- your-own tobaccos under top brands Craven "A" and Rothmans, as well as Belvedere, Benson and Hedges, Dunhill (licensed), Mark Ten, Number 7 (its best seller), and Viscount. RBH also distributes cut tobacco, mini-cigars, and pipe tobacco (Captain Black). Rothmans controls about a third of the Canadian tobacco product market. Philip Morris International (PMI) acquired Rothmans for about $2 billion in 2008.

Nervous newlyweds headed to Niagara Falls can take a pit stop down the road at Smokin Joes Cigars. The retail outlet on the Tuscarora Indian Nation in New York started off as a place to buy low-priced tobacco and tax-free gasoline but now offers a range of other products, from groceries and housewares to jewelry and apparel items, including casual clothing from major labels (such as Burton and Calvin Klein), Western wear, footwear, and accessories. In addition to selling name-brand tobacco products, Smokin Joes manufactures its own line of cigars, cigarettes, and pipe tobacco at a factory on the Tuscarora Indian Reservation. It also sells products online.

HM Sampoerna is one of the leading tobacco companies in Indonesia. We are the maker of some of the most well-known kretek (clove) cigarette brands such as Sampoerna Hijau, Sampoerna A Mild, and the legendary “King of Kretek” Dji Sam Soe. In fact, on May 18, 2005, when our company was acquired by Philip Morris International, we became part of one of the world’s largest tobacco companies. Today HM Sampoerna distributes Marlboro, the world’s best-selling cigarette brand, in Indonesia.Since our company was established in 1913, by our founder Liem Seeng Tee, our aim has been to offer the best smoking experience to adult smokers in Indonesia. We do this by continually seeking out what our consumers want, and delivering the best products to match their expectations. We are proud of our reputation for quality, innovation and excellence.

British American Tobacco Australasia (BATA) wants its customers in Australia and surrounding regions to smoke 'em if they've got 'em -- and buy some more if they've run out. In Australia, BAT is the market leader with nearly 45% of market share. The company has made the eradication of illegal tobacco as one of its highest priorities. In 2005 BATA ceased production of cigarettes with brand descriptions such as "light" and "mild" in relation to the safety level of the emitted smoke. At around the same time, the company also came out against so-called fire-safe cigarettes that theoretically extinguish themselves if left unattended or are discarded improperly. BATA is a subsidiary of British American Tobacco.

The cigar-smoking fad may have lost some steam in other markets, but Altadis USA keeps rolling along. Created from the 2000 consolidation of HavaTampa Inc. and Consolidated Cigar Holdings, Altadis USA is a leading cigar maker nationwide that generates more than half of its parent Altadis, S.A.'s worldwide cigar sales. Altadis USA manufactures and markets both premium and mass-market cigars under well-known brand names such as Don Diego, El Producto, H. Upmann, and Montecristo. It also sells little cigars under the Dutch Treats and Supre Sweets brands, as well as humidors and cigar cases.

PM USA is an operating company of Altria Group, Inc., a Virginia corporation whose stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (MO).PM USA is more than 150 years old. The history of our company can be traced back to Philip Morris' 1847 opening of a single shop on London's Bond Street, selling tobacco and ready-made cigarettes. In 1902, Philip Morris & Co., Ltd. incorporated as a small tobacco company in New York City. In 1960, Philip Morris was the smallest among the six major tobacco companies in the United States. By 1983, PM USA had become the largest cigarette company in the country.

Reynolds American Inc., through its subsidiaries, manufactures cigarettes and other tobacco products in the United States. It offers cigarettes under the CAMEL, KOOL, PALL MALL, DORAL, WINSTON, SALEM, MISTY, and CAPRI brands, as well as under the DUNHILL, STATE EXPRESS 555, and NATURAL AMERICAN SPIRIT brands. The company also manufactures other tobacco products, including little cigars under the WINCHESTER and CAPTAIN BLACK brands; roll-your-own tobacco under the BUGLER brand; and moist snuff under the GRIZZLY and KODIAK brands. In addition, Reynolds American offers loose leaf chewing tobacco, dry snuff, and plug and twist tobacco products. It sells its products primarily through distributors, wholesalers, and other direct customers, including retail chains, as well as distributes cigarettes to public warehouses. The company was founded in 1875 and is headquartered in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Zippo's refillable lighters (which come with a lifetime guarantee) are sold in more than 120 countries. Zippo also owns W.R. Case & Sons Cutlery (pocketknives) and makes key holders, money clips, pocket flashlights, tape measures, and writing instruments. George Blaisdell founded Zippo in 1932 after watching a friend try to light a cigarette in the wind. His daughters, Harriet Wick and Sarah Dorn (and her sons, George and Paul Duke), own Zippo. Thousands of collectors converge on Bradford, Pennsylvania, for the company's biennial swap meet.

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