To many Nigerians, Lawal’s “Silk cigarette” revelation was novel. However, raw tobacco smoking has been with us for over a century. Ancient elders smoked it as a sign of maturity and status, consumed through short clay pipes known in Yoruba as tábà, or through locally processed tobacco leaves called aàsà. The latter, a unisex passion, was pressed against the lips and its menthol allowed to gradually evaporate into the throat. With colonial incursion, the African public was introduced to refined tobacco in packaged cigarettes, coming in brands like Gold Leaf, SM and Benson & Hedges, among others.
The president’s Silk cigarettes and all that, By Festus Adedayo
