Which question best assesses a person's substance use history regarding tobacco?

The question that best assesses a person's substance use history regarding tobacco is to ask directly if the individual smokes. This approach is straightforward and targets the specific substance of interest—tobacco. By inquiring about smoking behavior, the health professional can gather important information related to the frequency and duration of tobacco use, which is crucial for understanding the individual's health risks, potential for addiction, and readiness for interventions such as smoking cessation programs.

The other options are not relevant to assessing tobacco use. Asking about alcohol consumption does not provide insight into tobacco usage, taking medications is unrelated as it does not correlate specifically with tobacco consumption, and inquiring about a hypertension diagnosis, while health-related, does not pertain to substance use in this context.