Jungle Fever: Smoking Paraphernalia & Legal Highs

A cigarette lighter is a device that is small, reasonably cheap, and designed to fit comfortably into a pocket.  All modern lighters contain virtually the same parts; a container for the fuel, which can be made of either metal or plastic, flammable fluid such as pressurised liquid gas, and a means for igniting and extinguishing the flame.

Johann Wolfgang was the inventor of the first portable lighter. It was known as Döbereiner’s lamp. This device was first developed in 1823 and its production was continued until 1880.

World War I greatly accelerated the demand for efficient lighters. Early on in the war, the soldiers sometimes used matches to help find their way in the dark in the trenches, as well as to light their cigarettes. However, when first lit the matches of the day produced a very strong flare, often revealing a soldier’s position to the enemy. Towards the end of the First World War, lighters had become a very useful and quite efficient mass-produced product.

Similarly, World War II greatly accelerated the demand for Zippo lighters. These were manufactured in the US and given to US soldiers. These lighters were preferred for their reliability and their liquid base.

In the latter part of the 20th century, inexpensive butane lighters gained popularity. With the introduction of these particular lighters they soon became viewed as a disposable commodity, as opposed to being a valued personal item to be kept long term, as had been the case in the past.

Heavier, more ornamental lighters were very popular during the nineteen fifties and into the late sixties.  They were not meant to be carried but were usually placed on a coffee table in a living room. Some of those were very ornate indeed and were quite expensive.  The pricier ones had a body crafted from silver.  They predominantly used a liquid fuel.