A Counter-Blaste to Tobacco

by King of England James I

"A Counter-Blaste to Tobacco" by King of England James I is a treatise written in 1604. In this early anti-smoking publication, the king forcefully expresses his disgust for tobacco and smoking. Written in Early Modern English, it blames Native Americans for introducing tobacco to Europe, warns of health dangers to the lungs, and condemns the practice as offensive to the senses. The work led James to impose heavy taxation on tobacco imports that same year.