The ban to not allowing smokers to smoke in public places is taking hold on a global scale. Finding a place to smoke is becoming increasing difficult, and as Georgina Pattinson of BBC News reports, there is an alternative to smoking cigarettes that appears to be gaining in popularity. Snuff. Like Pattinson, I knew nothing about snuff, so it is was with great interest that I followed her in her feature article to learn more about the resurgence in popularity of this everything old is new again nicotine habit. According to snuff merchants, the sale of snuff is on the rise, with more and more young people giving it a try. It seems snuff delivers far more of a nicotine hit than cigarettes do. Who knew? Not me.

So, what is snuff, and how does one use snuff? Pattinson explains. Snuff is tobacco ground into a fine powder. It can be scented with natural oils, including smells such as attar of roses, cinnamon and mint -- or with more exotic flavors such as whisky, wild mint and camphor. How do you partake of snuff? You insert a pinch up your nose and snort. Like cocaine users do. Oh, you have seen it done in the movies. Pattinson the reporter became part of the story when she gave snuff a try. She observed that sticking a wad of tobacco up your nose is hardly glamorous. But she predicts this snuff activity could catch on. Oh -- I hope not. Here is Pattinson's full reporting of snuffing out the smoking ban.