tobacco farm barn Irwinville Farms Tobacco Barn, 1930s

It is used in nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), a process for smoking cessation

This rural pipe is undoubtedly the most agreeable of all others, for a new one is used at every sitting, and the cob, from its dryness and sponginess, draws out, in the process of combustion, all the pernicious oil of the tobacco, and the pith actually increases the fragrance of the tobacco itself. Production was easy, with all necessary materials near at hand

This is a security measure

Many tobacco companies operating in the United States have established their own, more stringent rules against child labor in the contracts they make with farmers, but its unclear how those are policed or enforced