The power of tobacco

LONDON (Reuters) - Smoking can break marriages and friendships as well as damage diplomatic relations. It can also help develop careers and businesses.

We look at some of its powers.

-- Prime Minister Tony Blair was told by Cherie to give up smoking before they married. He smoked his last one 15 minutes before the wedding. Another high-profile figure to give up in the name of love was actor Brad Pitt after requests from Angelina Jolie.

-- Elgar composed a 42-second piece called the Smoking Contata for baritone soloist and orchestra in 1919 while staying at the home of a wealthy banker who repeatedly asked guests not to smoke in the hall or on the stairs. The lyrics included the line: "Kindly, kindly, kindly do not smoke in the hall or staircase."

-- A tent had to be constructed outside the National Portrait Gallery during a David Hockney exhibition in 2006 so the artist could step outside for a discreet smoke.

-- The CIA has, according to Cuban security officials, looked into 638 ways of killing dictator Fidel Castro including an exploding cigar. But the cigars, contaminated with botulinum toxin, never got to him. Castro gave up smoking in 1985.

-- The German town of Dresden, famous for its china, was responsible for the invention of the manufactured cigarette -- along with the bra, tea bag, squeezable toothpaste and latex condem.

-- Italy World Cup winning football manager Marcello Lippi, famous for smoking cigars in the dugout before it was banned, is sent cigars from fans around the world. Other sportsmen who seemingly fail to kick the habit but can thwack a ball include Zinedine Zidane, Jack Charlton, Maradona, Ian Botham and the then 80-a-day Stan Bowles. Golfer Darren Clarke spends an estimated 25,000 pounds a year on cigars.