The sailor who lit up and got locked up: The strange fate of one of Christopher Columbus’ crew members

When Christopher Columbus set sail in 1492, his crew carried dreams of gold and new lands. They didn’t expect to return with something that would change the world... with smoke. Among those sailors was Rodrigo de Jerez, a man from the Andalusian town of Ayamonte whose curiosity would make him both a pioneer and a prisoner.

Who was the first recorded European smoker?

In November 1492, while exploring Cuba, Jerez and fellow sailor Luis de Torres watched local Taíno people light bundles of dried leaves and inhale the scented smoke through their mouths. The ritual was social, spiritual and deeply ingrained in the islanders’ life. Fascinated, Jerez tried it himself, becoming the first recorded European smoker. When he returned home, he brought with him a handful of those strange leaves and the new habit that went with them.

Why did smoking get Jerez imprisoned?

But 15th-century Spain was not ready for a man who blew smoke from his mouth and nose. Jerez’s neighbours, terrified by the sight, whispered that only the devil could give such powers. The Spanish Inquisition, quick to suppress anything unholy, agreed. Jerez was accused of demonic possession and thrown into prison – by some accounts for as long as seven years.

Smoking went from sin to fashion

When he was finally released, the world had turned. Sailors, merchants and missionaries had spread tobacco across Europe. Smoking was no longer a sign of evil but a symbol of sophistication and commerce. The habit that had condemned Jerez was now embraced by nobles and kings.

His story sits somewhere between legend and truth, a reminder that history’s great revolutions can often begin as curiosities. He may have been punished for lighting up... but he ignited an enduring obsession for millions.

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