Castro first started smoking cigars at the age of 15, when his father introduced him to the habit. Until the 1980s, Castro was almost always portrayed with a cigar in hand, making it a symbol of the man. Under Castro’s leadership, the Cuban tobacco industry was overhauled and nationalized and turned into a state company called Cubatabaco in 1962. Cigars are still one of Cuba’s most important exports (27%), and Castro certainly agreed. The cigar industry is one of the main sources of revenue for Cuba, and now distributes and exports cigars worldwide under the name Habanos S.A.