J.R.R. Tolkien described Hobbits as the fictional people who invented pipe-smoking.
In the prologue to The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien explains that Hobbits developed the practice of smoking or using pipe-weed. The text presents it as a characteristic part of Hobbit culture, especially associated with relaxation, conversation, and domestic comfort.
The habit is fictional, but Tolkien based many details of Hobbit life on familiar rural and English customs. Hobbits enjoy gardens, meals, parties, family histories, and quiet homes, making pipe-smoking part of the wider picture of their society rather than merely a character trait.
Tolkien’s wording can cause a small confusion: the substance is often called pipe-weed, while characters and narrators may use terms connected with smoking. The important distinction is that Hobbits are credited with inventing the practice in Middle-earth.