The spread of tobacco consumption in Lower Brittany, between success and supervision
The question of how tobacco was distributed over a fairly long period from the second half of the 17th century until the end of the following century, in the Subdelegation and the Sénéchaussée d’Hennebont arises. The use of tobacco is spreading rapidly and is becoming a common consumer product, available to the greatest number and no longer reserved for an elite, in particular thanks to the multiplication of the different species of tobacco on offer. The authorities quickly became aware of the need to supervise, encourage and control its consumption in order in particular to curb any possible fraud. But, in order to develop the use of « Nicot grass », the State must first seek the best interlocutors, the most able, to organize distribution channels and effective control activities. At the local level, this translates into the appointment of commissioners with extended powers, by the establishment of distribution networks as close as possible to the field. This makes it possible to prevent, or at least limit, fraud, while offering consumers the possibility of obtaining supplies quickly and at a bearable cost.