Geography

• Tobacco grows best in sunny and warm areas.tobacco plants image by OMKAR A.V from Fotolia.com
  
  Tobacco is native to North and South America. Tobacco plants grow best in sunny areas with good soil drainage, according to the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. They prefer relatively warm climates, like the southern part of the U.S.
  
  

History

• Native Americans used tobacco for multiple purposes, including religious practices and as a medicine. Native Americans gave some tobacco to Christopher Columbus; he brought it back to Europe, where it became popular. Cigarettes became popular in the 1800s and 1900s and tobacco became a money-making crop.
  
  

Warning

• The University of Maryland Cancer Center warns that even homegrown tobacco causes many diseases including lung cancer, stomach cancer, bladder cancer, pancreatic cancer, kidney cancer, emphysema and chronic bronchitis. It also contributes to heart disease and is addictive.