Who was the explorer that introduced Virginia tobacco into Great Britain?

Tobacco was first discovered by the native peoples of north and South America and later introduced to Europe and the rest of the world. Europeans are credited with carrying tobacco back to Europe. And, Sir Walter Raleigh (circa 1554 – October 1618) is credited with taking the first Virginia tobacco to Great Britain and other parts of Europe, referring to it as tobah as early as 1578. It was then that Raleigh became well known for popularizing tobacco in England. When he died, it was not related to tobacco use; he was executed in 1618.

But, with the use of tobacco in Europe, it was not without resistance and controversy. In 1604, King James I produced a strong and famous written attack against tobacco, titled A Counterblaste to Tobacco. James I called tobacco use a custom loathsome to the eye, hateful to the nose, harmful to the brain, and dangerous to the lungs. Accordingly, an English statute was enacted that placed a heavy protective tariff on every pound of tobacco brought into England.