NRC columnist reflects on finding an old pack of Drum tobacco

Discovering a Relic of the Smoking Era

The discovery began while sorting through a box of books that included Oranjebitter, a princess Margarita saga by former colleague Thieu Vaessen, and Ganz Unten, Günter Wallraff’s work of participatory journalism bearing a green de-accessioned sticker from the Nijmegen public library. Tucked between the volumes was a pack of half-zware Drum tobacco featuring a packet of Rizla Red papers attached with adhesive tape. Estimating the package to be at least fifteen years old, the author notes that the contents still smelled fresh enough for consumption. The find triggered memories of smoking on a balcony with coffee while watching the sunrise, alongside recurring struggles to quit the habit. The columnist describes a history of throwing away tobacco in canals after late nights out, with the final cigarette smoked on a balcony in Betondorp with a maternity nurse when the author’s oldest daughter was about eight days old. Managing cravings is now handled using Nicotinell 1mg nicotine sucking tablets rather than tobacco.

The Disappearance of Smokers from Social Circles

A striking aspect of the personal reflection is the realization that regular smokers have entirely disappeared from the author’s daily life. Everyone once known to smoke has either quit or drifted away, creating a sharp contrast with past environments where smoking was ubiquitous. Encountering a persistent smoker recently highlighted how strong the odor of tobacco is, leading the columnist to reflect on how intensely they must have smelled when smoking actively. A specific memory cited from those years involves a photographer requesting that the author refrain from smoking inside a car—a restriction that felt like a strange adventure at the time.

An Object Without a Function

Unable to find anyone left who might use the tobacco, the author placed the vintage pack on the corner of a desk. The item serves no practical purpose today, likened instead to finding an old coin that can be admired for its shine but no longer spent. The discovery highlights a broader generational divide where smoking implements have shifted from everyday pocket items to historical curiosities. With the era of widespread indoor and casual smoking firmly in the past, the unopened pack remains simply as a quiet memento of a former lifestyle.