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Tobacco and its environmental impact: An overview

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Smoking and the Environment – How Smoking Harms the Planet

Smoking’s harms to users are well-known and widely-accepted, but smoking hurts more than just smokers. through deforestation, cigarette butt litter and air pollution, it harms the entire planet..

Tobacco use causes almost six million deaths per year, according to the CDC , and harms nearly every organ in the body. Thankfully, almost everybody is now aware of this, but the full scope of the harm caused by tobacco can’t be appreciated without considering the impact smoking has on the environment. This is a multi-faceted issue, with the link between smoking and the environment encompassing issues related to air pollution, the impacts of the growing of tobacco and the effect of the widespread littering of cigarette butts. If nothing else, this all goes to show that a tobacco-free world would be greener, too.

Smoking and Air Pollution

Second-hand smoke is widely recognized as a cause of disease in both humans and animals, but for the issue of smoking and the environment, the most important impact is how it affects air quality overall. Air pollution comes from a variety of sources, but some are more avoidable than others. For instance, pollution from vehicles is a significant issue for air quality around the world, but with so many people depending on cars, trucks and other pollution sources for their jobs and to transport materials they need, this is a hard issue to solve.

Smoking, however, is not necessary for the functioning of society, and in general is detrimental to it. Abundant evidence from various sources show marked improvements in air quality when smoking is banned. For example, when New York instituted a state-wide smoke-free law, levels of fine particulate matter in 20 locations studied decreased by 84%, and many other locations show similar results around the world.

The Impact of Tobacco Growing and Deforestation

Arguably the most important thing for the relationship between smoking and the environment is the impact of growing tobacco . Firstly, tobacco is grown as a mono-crop, and this means that large amounts of fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides are used when growing it. This can be hazardous to the environment, but the biggest issue is the risks to workers on tobacco farms. This can be mitigated with strong regulations, but tobacco is often grown in countries with very few controls to protect workers.

However, the biggest impact of smoking on the environment is deforestation. This occurs both to provide land for the growing of tobacco, but also to supply wood which is burned during the flue-curing process many tobaccos go through. In total, it’s estimated that 200,000 hectares of land are cleared annually to make room for tobacco cultivation.

The combined impacts of these two contributors to deforestation in countries like Tanzania make tobacco cultivation a particular issue. In Tanzania, four-fifths of the tobacco grown there is flue-cured, leading to a total of over 61,000 hectares of forested land being cleared for the purpose. The process of burning wood also releases CO 2 , so flue-curing directly contributes to global climate change.

Cigarette Butt Litter and the Environment

There is yet another issue related to smoking and the environment, and this relates to what happens to the remainders of cigarettes after they’re smoked. Cigarette butts are one of the most littered items throughout the world, with an estimated 4 trillion butts littered across the world each year.

Cigarette butts are not biodegradable , but they do break into smaller pieces under the influence of ultraviolet radiation from the sun. Cigarette butts also leach chemicals such as nicotine, arsenic, heavy metals and others like ethylphenol into the environment. As well as the direct effects on animals who ingest the cigarette butts, the chemicals released into the environment can indirectly damage animals, particularly marine animals. This is more serious because even cigarettes thrown onto the street far away from bodies of water can get swept into drains and find their way into the water system.

Reducing the Environmental Impacts of Tobacco

Smoking and the environment are intimately linked, and coming up with a way to solve the various problems should be a priority. The simplest solution is to reduce the number of smokers in society. This would reduce the demand for tobacco, which would eventually lead to less of it being grown, and also to less cigarette butts being littered.

However, there are other, more targeted strategies that can be used. For example, providing more places for smokers to dispose of their cigarette butts would reduce the issue of littering, and establishing rules governing the use of pesticides on tobacco farms could help exposed workers.

It’s important to remember, though, that the impacts of smoking on the environment are wide-ranging and hard to tackle. As challenging as it may be, the most reliable solution to the problem is to take steps to move towards a smoke-free world.

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Tobacco and its environmental impact – an overview

Home / Resource hub / Tobacco and its environmental impact – an overview

Key findings, arguments and recommendations: Tobacco is not only a health threat, but also a threat to human development in general because of its negative impacts on economic stability, fod secirty, gender equality, and the environment Key facts and stats: (1) In 2012, tobacco leaf farming took up 4.3 million hectares of agricultural land around the world; (2) 90% of tobacco farming takes place in low-income countries; (3) Tobacco farmers and harvesters are at risk of nicotine and pesticide poisoning; (4) In one year, tobacco smoke produces thousands of metric tonnes of carcinogens, toxicants, and greenhouse gases Notes: Because tobacco companies self-report the environmental impact of manufacturing and transporting tobacco products, there is little reliable data available Main focus: Environment Other topics addressed: Farming; deforestation; waste; economic cost; pollution; poverty Source: WHO Year: 2017

• Tobacco and its environmental impact - an overview

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The environmental and health impacts of tobacco agriculture, cigarette manufacture and consumption

Impacts environnementaux et sanitaires de la culture du tabac, de la fabrication de cigarettes et de leur consommation, los efectos medioambientales y sanitarios del cultivo de tabaco y la producción y consumo de cigarrillos, التأثيرات البيئية والصحية لزراعة التبغ وصناعة السجائر واستهلاكها, 烟草农业、香烟制造和消费对环境和健康造成的影响, Влияние сельскохозяйственного производства табака, промышленного производства и потребления сигарет на окружающую среду и здоровье, thomas e novotny.

a Graduate School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, United States of America (USA).

Stella Aguinaga Bialous

b School of Nursing, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, USA.

Lindsay Burt

c Maxwell School Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse, New York, USA.

Clifton Curtis

d The Cigarette Butt Pollution Project, Washington, USA.

Vera Luiza da Costa

e Secretariat for the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, Geneva, Switzerland.

Silvae Usman Iqtidar

f Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, Canada.

Sameer Pujari

g Tobacco Free Initiative, World Health Organization, avenue Appia 20, 1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland.

Edouard Tursan d'Espaignet

The health consequences of tobacco use are well known, but less recognized are the significant environmental impacts of tobacco production and use. The environmental impacts of tobacco include tobacco growing and curing; product manufacturing and distribution; product consumption; and post-consumption waste. The World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control addresses environmental concerns in Articles 17 and 18, which primarily apply to tobacco agriculture. Article 5.3 calls for protection from policy interference by the tobacco industry regarding the environmental harms of tobacco production and use. We detail the environmental impacts of the tobacco life-cycle and suggest policy responses.

Résumé

Les conséquences du tabagisme sur la santé sont notoires. En revanche, les impacts environnementaux considérables de la production et de la consommation de tabac sont moins connus. Ces impacts environnementaux sont liés à la culture et au séchage du tabac, à la fabrication des produits du tabac et à leur distribution, au tabagisme et aux déchets générés après consommation. La Convention-cadre de l’OMS pour la lutte antitabac évoque ces problèmes environnementaux dans ses Articles 17 et 18, qui s'appliquent avant tout à la culture du tabac. L'Article 5.3 préconise de ne pas laisser l'industrie du tabac influencer les mesures politiques en ce qui concerne les effets négatifs de la production et de la consommation du tabac sur l'environnement. Nous détaillons dans ce dossier les impacts environnementaux sur tout le cycle de vie du tabac et formulons plusieurs suggestions en termes de réponse politique.

Las consecuencias sanitarias del consumo de tabaco son bien conocidas, pero no tanto los significativos efectos que el cultivo y consumo de tabaco tienen en el medio ambiente. Los efectos medioambientales del tabaco incluyen el crecimiento y la cura del tabaco, la producción y distribución del producto, el consumo del producto y los residuos resultantes de su consumo. El Convenio Marco de la OMS para el Control del Tabaco aborda las preocupaciones medioambientales en los Artículos 17 y 18, los cuales se aplican principalmente en el cultivo del tabaco. El Artículo 5.3 exige medidas cautelares respecto a las políticas de interferencia de la industria del tabaco en lo que se refiere a los daños medioambientales del cultivo y el consumo de tabaco. Se enumeran los efectos medioambientales del ciclo de vida del tabaco y se sugieren respuestas políticas.

ملخص

إن الآثار الصحية لاستخدام التبغ معروفة جيدًا، ولكن المعرفة بالتأثيرات البيئية الكبرى لإنتاج التبغ واستخدامه ليست بذات القدر من الانتشار. وتشتمل الآثار البيئية للتبغ على زراعة التبغ ومعالجته؛ وصناعة المنتجات وتوزيعها واستهلاكها؛ والنفايات الناتجة بعد الاستهلاك. وتتناول الاتفاقية الإطارية لمنظمة الصحة العالمية المعنية بمكافحة التبغ المخاوف البيئية في المادتين 17 و18، واللتين تنطبقان بشكل أساسي على زراعة التبغ. وتدعو المادة 5-3 للحماية من التدخل في السياسات من جانب قطاع صناعة التبغ فيما يتعلق بالأضرار البيئية لإنتاج التبغ واستخدامه. ونحن نتناول بالتفصيل التأثيرات البيئية لدورة حياة التبغ كما نقترح الاستجابات السياسية.

摘要

使用烟草对健康造成的后果已经众所周知，但是生产和使用烟草对环境产生的重大影响却鲜为人知。烟草对环境的影响包括：烟草种植和烘焙、产品制造和分销、产品消费和消费后产生的垃圾。世界卫生组织发布的《烟草控制框架公约》第 17 条和第 18 条中强调的环境问题主要适用于烟草农业。关于烟草生产和使用对环境造成的伤害，第 5.3 款中呼吁烟草行业采取政策干预来保护环境。我们将会详细探讨烟草在其生命周期内对环境造成的影响，同时建议政策应对。

Резюме

Влияние табака на здоровье изучено хорошо, но куда менее известно значительное воздействие производства и потребления табака на окружающую среду. Воздействие табака на окружающую среду происходит во время выращивания и сушки табака, изготовления, распределения и потребления табачных изделий; также влияние на окружающую среду оказывают отходы потребления. В Рамочной конвенции Всемирной организации здравоохранения по борьбе против табака проблемам окружающей среды посвящены статьи 17 и 18, в которых внимание уделяется в основном сельскохозяйственному производству табака. В статье 5.3 отмечается необходимость защиты от вмешательства табачной промышленности в политику здравоохранения в плане причинения вреда окружающей среде в результате производства и потребления табачных изделий. Далее подробно описывается влияние жизненного цикла табачных изделий на окружающую среду и предлагаются ответные меры в области политики.

Introduction

The human health impacts of tobacco use are well-documented. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that there will be more than 8 million tobacco-related deaths a year by 2030, amounting to 10% of annual deaths worldwide. 1

The impact that tobacco has on the environment is less well recognized. The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) addresses the environmental concerns regarding tobacco in Article 18, which states that:

“In carrying out their obligations under this Convention, the Parties agree to have due regard to the protection of the environment and the health of persons in relation to the environment in respect of tobacco cultivation and manufacture within their respective territories.”

In response, a series of policy options and recommendations were agreed at the sixth Conference of the Parties to the FCTC in 2014. 2 The meeting identified key sources of environmental concern and recommended environmental impact studies on tobacco growing. 2 Given the environmental and occupational health concerns associated with tobacco growing, the FCTC also addresses the need for alternative livelihoods for tobacco growers in Article 17.

The environmental lifecycle of tobacco can be roughly divided into four stages: (i) tobacco growing and curing; (ii) product manufacturing and distribution; (iii) product consumption; and (iv) post-consumption waste. Here, we describe the environmental and health concerns at each of these stages and propose recommendations for policy-makers.

Tobacco growing and curing

In 2011, around 4 200 000 hectares of land were devoted to tobacco growing, representing less than 1% of total arable land globally; however, in several low- and middle-income countries, the percentage of arable land devoted to tobacco growing has recently increased. 1 For example, it has almost doubled in China, Malawi and the United Republic of Tanzania since the 1960s. Deforestation for tobacco growing has many serious environmental consequences – including loss of biodiversity, soil erosion and degradation, water pollution and increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide.

Tobacco growing usually involves substantial use of chemicals – including pesticides, fertilizers and growth regulators. 3 These chemicals may affect drinking water sources as a result of run-off from tobacco growing areas. Research has also shown that tobacco crops deplete soil nutrients by taking up more nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium than other major crops. This depletion is compounded by topping and de-suckering plants, which increase the nicotine content and leaf yields of tobacco plants. 3

Land used for subsistence farming in low- and middle-income countries may be diverted to tobacco as a cash crop. Intensive lobbying and investments by multinational tobacco companies (e.g. Philip Morris International, British American Tobacco and Japan Tobacco International) and leaf buyers (e.g. Universal Corporation and Alliance One International) along with market liberalization measures have encouraged the expansion of tobacco agriculture in low- and middle-income countries. Many of these countries have limited legislative and economic capacities to resist multinational tobacco companies’ influence and investments. As a consequence of expanded tobacco agriculture, there are short-term economic benefits for some farmers, but there will be long-term social, economic, health and environmental detriments for many others. 4

Due to widespread concerns about unfair labour practices in tobacco agriculture, tobacco control advocates have recently been working with tobacco farmers and farm workers to ensure the right to collective bargaining and to receive living wages and fair leaf prices. 5 Given the agricultural labour practices in both low- and middle-income countries and more developed countries, attention is also needed to ensure the safety of children involved in tobacco farming. Farm workers, especially child labourers, minorities and migrant workers are at risk of nicotine toxicity (green tobacco illness), caused by handling tobacco leaves without protection during harvest and processing. 6

Manufacturing and distribution

In 1995, it was estimated that global tobacco manufacturing produced over 2 000 000 tonnes of solid waste, 300 000 tonnes of non-recyclable nicotine-containing waste and 200 000 tonnes of chemical waste. 7 If annual cigarette production had remained constant for the past 20 years (output has actually increased from 5 to 6.3 trillion cigarettes annually), tobacco factories would have deposited a total of 45 000 000 tonnes of solid wastes, 6 000 000 tonnes of nicotine waste and almost 4 000 000 tonnes of chemical wastes during this time. Other toxic by-products of tobacco manufacturing or chemicals used in manufacturing include ammonia, hydrochloric acid, toluene and methyl ethyl ketone.

Product consumption

The health impacts of environmental tobacco smoke exposure include lung cancer, cardiovascular disease and pulmonary disease. 8 Exposure to residual chemicals in environments where smoking has taken place may also have human health impacts, though these impacts have not yet been quantified. 9 Most cigarettes are lit using matches or gas-filled lighters. If, for example, one wooden match is used to light two cigarettes, the six trillion cigarettes smoked globally each year would require the destruction of about nine million trees to produce three trillion matches. 10 There are also environmental impacts of manufacturing and disposing of the plastic, metal and butane used in making cigarette lighters.

Cigarettes remain an important cause of accidental fires and resulting deaths. In the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, cigarettes caused 7% of fires in 2013–2014, making them the single most important cause of deaths related to fires (34 deaths/1000 fires). 11 In the United States of America, cigarettes have been responsible for 8–10% of all fires over the past 10 years (on average 90 000 fires per year); they also remain the single most important cause of deaths related to fires (540 of 2855 total deaths in 2011). 12 These fires were responsible for 621 million United States dollars in direct property damage and 1640 civilian injuries. Regulations requiring cigarettes to self-extinguish in Canada and the USA were associated with a 30% decline in fire-related deaths from 2003 to 2011. 13

Post-consumption waste

Cigarette butts are the most commonly discarded piece of waste globally and are the most frequent item of litter picked up on beaches and water edges worldwide. 14 The non-biodegradable cellulose acetate filter attached to most manufactured cigarettes is the main component of cigarette butt waste and trillions of filter-tipped butts are discarded annually. Assuming that each filter weighs 170 milligrams, the weight of all tobacco-attributable non-biodegradable (filter) waste discarded annually is about 175 200 tonnes.

Hazardous substances have been identified in cigarette butts – including arsenic, lead, nicotine and ethyl phenol. These substances are leached from discarded butts into aquatic environments and soil. Although the environmental impact of this waste has not yet been quantified, the large quantity of discarded butts may allow leachates to affect the quality of drinking water. Other post-consumption wastes, such as medicines, pesticides and plastic microbeads from cosmetics, have been found in drinking water sources. 15 – 17 It is possible that tobacco product waste may also prove to be a significant environmental contaminant and potential human health hazard through bioaccumulation in the food-chain.

With 6 trillion cigarettes manufactured annually, about 300 billion packages (assuming 20 cigarettes per pack) are made for tobacco products. Assuming each empty pack weighs about six grams, this amounts to about 1 800 000 tonnes of packaging waste, composed of paper, ink, cellophane, foil and glue. The waste from cartons and boxes used for distribution and packing brings the total annual solid post-consumption waste to at least 2 000 000 tonnes. This compares with an estimated 1 830 000 tonnes annually of plastic waste from mineral water bottles (estimation method available from the corresponding author).

Electronic cigarettes may contain batteries that require special disposal as well as chemicals, packaging and other non-biodegradable materials. The US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has expressed concerns about the flammability and lack of product regulation of electronic cigarettes and their components. 18

Carbon dioxide emissions

Tobacco smoking leads directly to the emission of 2 600 000 tonnes of carbon dioxide and about 5 200 000 tonnes of methane. 19 Data from 66 low- and middle-income countries showed that tobacco growing and curing caused significant deforestation between 1990 and 1995, amounting to approximately 2000 hectares – on average, 5% of each country’s estimated deforestation during that five-year period. 20 Worldwide, approximately 13 000 000 hectares of forest are lost due to agriculture or natural causes each year, 21 and of this, at least 200 000 hectares are for tobacco agriculture and curing. 1 Deforestation is the second largest anthropogenic source of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere (approximately 20%), after fossil fuel combustion. 22 One estimate of the impact of deforestation in tobacco agriculture and curing is that it causes almost 5% of global greenhouse gas production. 23

Despite their now well-known efforts to sow doubt among the public and policy-makers about anthropogenic climate change, 24 tobacco companies have advertised their efforts to reduce carbon emissions. British American Tobacco estimated in 2006 that production of one million cigarettes produces 0.79 tonnes of carbon dioxide. According to this estimate, 4 740 000 tonnes of carbon dioxide would be emitted annually by global cigarette manufacturing. Other analyses assert that this is a gross underestimate of the greenhouse gas burden due to tobacco growing, manufacturing and transport. 23 No estimates are as yet available on the extent of carbon dioxide emissions due to tobacco product transport.

Proposed next steps

The FCTC recommendations encompass all aspects of the livelihoods of tobacco growers and workers – including health, economic, social, environmental and food security concerns. 25 The recommendations re-emphasized the need to confront the vested interests of tobacco companies. These companies have promoted policies that avoid all environmental responsibility of the producer, and they attempt to divert public attention away from their environmental responsibilities through corporate social responsibility programmes. 26 Protecting the public against the tobacco industry’s environmental impact is aligned with FCTC Article 5.3 and its guidelines, which remind Parties that:

“There is a fundamental and irreconcilable conflict between the tobacco industry’s interests and public health policy interests.” 27

The FCTC recommendations also propose conducting an analysis of the main barriers and existing opportunities for Article 18 implementation. 2

A community of concern needs to be established among multiple sectors – including health, agriculture, trade and environment – to address the environmental impacts of tobacco production and use. The FCTC Parties may consider such a broad approach as a new way to include academia, nongovernmental organizations and non-party countries. It is clear that tobacco control intersects with other pressing global issues such as sustainable development, environmental policy, climate change, trade agreements and human rights. By taking broad-based but effective action against the environmental hazards created by the tobacco industry, the demand for tobacco products will be further reduced. With strengthened environmental policies, there will be increased costs for tobacco products, decreased social acceptance of tobacco use and changes in the most commonly used tobacco products.

Policy options and recommendations on alternatives to tobacco growing involve comprehensive, environmentally-oriented tobacco control interventions for both tobacco growing and non-growing countries. We propose seven recommendations for Parties to the FCTC to consider. First, identify, prevent, treat and monitor health effects related to tobacco growing among farmers and workers. Second, develop strategies to free tobacco farmers and especially their children from unfair and unsafe agricultural and labour-related practices. Third, strengthen regulation of tobacco agriculture to prevent deforestation and land degradation. Fourth, implement extended producer responsibility regulations on the tobacco industry to reduce, mitigate and prevent manufacturing and post-consumption tobacco product waste. Fifth, extend tobacco product sales regulation to eliminate single-use filters – including any biodegradable varieties – to reduce post-consumption waste. Sixth, engage litigation and economic interventions to recover the costs of industry misconduct and environmental damages. Seventh, innovate, improve and enforce new and existing environmental regulations and agreements that may apply to tobacco manufacturing, transport and management of post consumption waste.

Competing interests:

None declared.

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Tobacco and the environment

The health impacts of tobacco are widely known. What is less well known is the negative impact tobacco use has on the environment.

The production of tobacco products causes widespread environmental degradation beginning with the preparation of land for tobacco cultivation and continues on through the life-cycle of the tobacco products as they are manufactured, marketed and consumed.

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• Tobacco: a threat to development?
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• Ruth E Malone 1 ⇑ ,
• Joshua S Yang 2
• 1 Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences , University of California , San Francisco, California , USA
• 2 Department of Health Science, College of Health and Human Development , California State University , Fullerton, California , USA
• Correspondence to Professor Ruth E Malone, Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, School of Nursing, University of California, San Francisco 94118, California, USA; ruth.malone{at}ucsf.edu

https://doi.org/10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2017-053773

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• Environment

In keeping with the broader understanding that tobacco is not merely a threat to individual health but to the cause of social and environmental justice, the theme for World No-Tobacco Day this year is Tobacco: A threat to development . Here it is important to first differentiate the type of development that advances the health of individuals, communities and ecosystems versus the type of development that exploits and harms them. The term ‘development’ as it has been used historically in the social sciences is itself fraught with ambiguity and inconsistency. 1

Traditionally, the term has usually included an element of maturation of economies and economic industries so people can move out of the non-wage sector into more productive and prosperous wage sectors. Over time, ‘development’ has been broadened to address human development, including health, literacy, democracy, human rights and other non-economic domains. Nevertheless, the dominant, often implicit, interpretation of ‘development’ is of economic development or the development of economic systems to meet human development goals.

Though the proportion of the world’s population living in poverty has declined since 1990, 2 ‘development’ has resulted in increasing inequality and a consolidation of wealth and power among economic and political elites, with neoliberalism the dominant model for pursuing economic growth and development since the 1970s. 3 For local communities, the result is often exploitation of human and natural resources and public goods, 4 and exclusion from the benefits of economic growth. An uncritical embedding of global health within a development agenda can also lead to an over-reliance on economic principles and tools—such as fostering individual choice and market mechanisms—to achieve health goals. Both of these may favour the corporate agenda of Big Tobacco, undermining the critical role of strong regulations to protect the public.

‘Sustainable’ development has been defined as ‘development that promotes prosperity and economic opportunity, greater social well-being and protection of the environment.’ 5 Overall, research shows that the business of tobacco is simply not compatible with such a vision. First, tobacco does not promote widespread prosperity. While economic boons accrue to some, the burdens are disproportionately distributed among nations and groups already suffering from higher rates of disease, poverty and marginalising factors. 6 Admittedly, in some areas, government subsidies and the ability of growers to time the tobacco market through curing make tobacco a profitable crop for small numbers of farmers, but in many regions, farmers accrue net losses due to their inability to set fair prices, their need for advance funding to buy supplies and the advantages of large buyers who exert control over supply chains. 7

Tobacco use is associated with increased poverty and food insecurity among both farmers and users as land formerly used to grow food crops is converted to tobacco growing and limited funds are used to buy addictive tobacco products instead of food. 8 Tobacco users are poorer than non-users and more likely to report food insecurity, even in wealthier countries. 9 While few studies measure overall social well-being in relation to tobacco, child welfare is an important measure of societal health. Despite several so-called ‘corporate social responsibility’ initiatives sponsored by tobacco companies, tobacco continues to be produced using child labour in unsafe conditions. 7 10 In one study, higher levels of family unhappiness were reported by children in families where smoking occurred. 11 At the level of individuals, there is evidence that those who do not use tobacco or who have quit are happier than those who continue to smoke. 12

Finally, tobacco is an environmentally destructive industry. 13 In addition to deforestation for tobacco growing and curing, heavy use of pesticides contributes to water and soil pollution and degradation. Recent research has also called attention to the potential negative effects of leachate from billions of discarded cigarette butts on marine life. 14 15

Including tobacco control as a development issue can restore the humanity of the development agenda, moving beyond a focus solely on economic growth. The evidence for tobacco control as an important investment in development is clear: The macroeconomic costs of tobacco use can be avoided, the pain and suffering of tobacco-related diseases can be reduced and the relationship between tobacco use and poverty can be broken. 16 Strong tobacco control measures can help raise the standard of living of families and communities and enable them to realise their aspirations and potential. In addition, tobacco control measures may reinforce the importance of embedding economic activity within the principles of a society that values human dignity and serves the common good. 17 The interests of powerful, transnational economic entities should not be prioritised over the general welfare, whether it be tobacco companies or other actors, which exploit the public for private gain. Eliminating the tobacco threat by implementing tobacco control measures will help countries achieve the sustainable development goals. 16

• Cullather N
• ↵ World Bank . Poverty . 2016 . http://dataworldbankorg/topic/poverty
• ↵ United Nations . Promote sustainable development . 2017 . http://wwwunorg/en/sections/what-we-do/promote-sustainable-development/indexhtml
• ↵ WHO . Tobacco increases the poverty of individuals and families . 2017 . http://wwwwhoint/tobacco/communications/events/wntd/2004/tobaccofacts_families/en/
• Au WM , et al
• Stickley A ,
• Koyanagi A ,
• Roberts B , et al
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• Abdallah JM , et al
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• Slaughter E ,
• Gersberg RM ,
• Watanabe K , et al
• ↵ US National Cancer Institute, World Health Organization . The Economics of Tobacco and Tobacco Control, National Cancer Institute Tobacco Control Monograph 21 NIH Publication No. 16-CA-8029A . Bethesda, MD, USA : US Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute and Geneva, World Health Organization , 2016 .
• Abdelal R ,

Competing interests None declared.

Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; internally peer reviewed.

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Cigarettes have a significant impact on the environment, not just health

by Hayley Dunning , Joanna Wilson 02 October 2018

A new report shows that the six trillion cigarettes produced yearly impact the environment through climate change, water and land use, and toxicity.

The devastating impact of the tobacco industry on human health is well known. However, a new report systematically outlines for the first time the substantial impact of the tobacco industry on the environment.

The report, authored by scientists from Imperial College London, is launched today at a meeting of the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

Finite resources

These impacts include climate change from energy and fuel consumption, water and soil depletion, and acidification. The global cultivation of tobacco requires substantial land use, water consumption, pesticides and labour – all finite resources that might be put to better use.

Smokers in the developed world are literally and metaphorically burning the resources of poorer countries. Dr Nicholas Hopkinson National Heart & Lung Institute, Imperial College London

Globally, the cultivation of 32.4 Million tonnes (Mt) of green tobacco, used for the production of 6.48 Mt of dry tobacco in the six trillion cigarettes manufactured worldwide in 2014, contributes almost 84 Mt CO2 emissions to climate change – approximately 0.2% of the global total.

Professor Nick Voulvoulis, from the Centre for Environmental Policy at Imperial, said: “The environmental impacts of cigarette smoking, from cradle to grave, add significant pressures to the planet’s increasingly scarce resources and fragile ecosystems. Tobacco reduces our quality of life as it competes for resources with commodities valuable to livelihoods and development across the world.”

Energy intensive production

‘Processing’ – the curing of tobacco leaves to produce dry tobacco – is highly energy intensive, using coal or wood burning that contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and deforestation. Tobacco production also uses more than 22 billion tonnes of water.

The transport and manufacture of cigarettes, as well as their final use and disposal, also use more resources and leave further waste.

The world’s top cigarette consuming country – China – harvests over 3 Mt of tobacco leaves using over 1.5 million hectares of arable land and significant fresh water resources – while habitats suffer from water scarcity and nearly 134 million of its people are undernourished.

Crop yields

The report compares the impact of tobacco against other crops that typically require fewer inputs. Moreover, the yield of these crops is in many cases considerably higher than that of tobacco. For example, in Zimbabwe a hectare of land could produce 19 times more potatoes than the 1–1.2 tonnes of tobacco currently cultivated.

The evidence also suggests that growing alternative crops is better for farmers and their families, as child labour remains a major issue in tobacco production.

Almost 90% of all tobacco production is concentrated in the developing world – of the top ten tobacco producing countries, nine are developing and four are low-income food-deficit countries (LIFDCs), including India, Zimbabwe, Pakistan, and Malawi. However, the majority of cigarette consumption takes place in the developed world.

Dr Nicholas Hopkinson, from the National Heart and Lung Institute at Imperial, said: “Smokers in the developed world are literally and metaphorically burning the resources of poorer countries.” 

A lifelong impact

The report also calculates the environmental impact of a single smoker over their lifetime: a person smoking a pack of 20 cigarettes per day for 50 years is responsible for 1.4 million litres of water depletion.

The report calls for a range of actions to address these issues. These include strengthening the global evidence base so that gaps in the current environmental data can be filled, encouraging sustainable investment as well as making sure that the environmental cost of tobacco is included in the price, and encouraging the industry to take responsibility for the whole life cycle of its products.

The report is based on a scientific analysis published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology.

View embedded Infogram content

Chart caption:

The chart above depicts tobacco's global footprint across the entire supply chain, drawing on statistics from 2014.

The graphic shows that:

• 22,200 megatons of water, 5.3 million hectares of land, 62.2 petajoules of energy and 27.2 megatons of material resources went into creating 6 trillion cigarettes
• The cigarettes were manufactured in nearly 500 factories across 125 countries, and produced 6.48 megatons of dry tobacco, and 32.4 megatons of green tobacco leaf
• All of this produced 25 megatons of solid waste, 55 magatons of waste water, and 84 megatons of C02 emissions

Article text (excluding photos or graphics) © Imperial College London.

Photos and graphics subject to third party copyright used with permission or © Imperial College London.

Hayley Dunning Communications Division

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Tel: +44 (0)20 7594 2412 Email: [email protected] Show all stories by this author

Joanna Wilson Communications Division

Tel: +44 (0)20 7594 3970 Email: [email protected] Show all stories by this author

Drugs , Environment , Research , Smoking , Pollution , Strategy-multidisciplinary-research , 4IR See more tags

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Tobacco and the Environment

Introduction

Tobacco kills up to half of its users, this equates to 8 million deaths a year globally and is currently the world’s single biggest cause of preventable death. 1 2 Tobacco use remains a significantly important public health issue. In addition to its harmful impact on human health, recent research has shown that smoking is also causing devasting environmental damage. In addition to research focussing on the direct effects of cigarette smoking on human health, greater attention must be attributed towards the harmful effects of tobacco on the environment and the ecosystem. The environmental costs of tobacco production and consumption have not been extensively studied, however a growing body of evidence demonstrates that the tobacco industry is having a significant effect on the planet’s natural resources and vulnerable ecosystem. 3 4 5 Every stage of the tobacco supply chain poses serious environmental consequences, including deforestation, the use of fossil fuels and the dumping or leaking of waste products into the natural environment. 3 4 5 Post consumption, cigarette butt littering represents not only a public nuisance but are exerting hazardous and toxic effects on the environment and ecosystems where they end up.

The tobacco industry’s role in sustainability

Assessing the environmental impact of the tobacco industry across the entire supply chain is complex. In the absence of mandatory guidelines to ensure open and transparent reporting of environmental data, companies can arbitrarily set environmental goals and choose not to fully disclose data. 5 6 7 8 Consequentially this obscures the actual environmental impact, and does not make those responsible accountable for their environmental impact. 7 Despite its enormous profitability, the industry bears few of the health and environmental costs caused by producing tobacco. 7 8 China National Tobacco Company produces over 40% of all the world’s cigarettes, yet does not provide comprehensive environmental data. 8 9 This in effect means that almost half of the global environmental impact of tobacco is unaccounted for. In its 2020 sustainability report, British American Tobacco (BAT) stated one of its goals was to reduce emissions by 30% by 2025. 10 However, on closer examination their emission target is only applicable to those under their “direct control”, and excludes emissions embedded in the purchase of goods and services, transportation and distribution, capital goods, and activities influenced but not controlled by companies 7 10 One reason for this opacity is that it enables tobacco companies to avoid including emissions figures for farmers contracted through third parties, 11 accounting for a significant majority of their activity. 7 10 A report conducted by the United Nations Environmental Programme questions whether the profitability of major tobacco would still exist if they were held accountable and had to pay for the environmental impacts of their activities. 11 While smoking rates may be declining in many high-income countries, they are on the rise across many middle and low income countries. Consequentially as consumption increases so does the global environmental impact of the tobacco industry, this cannot be overstated. 3 12 At present tobacco companies are not accountable for their environmental damage, nor the full costs of the environmental impact encompassing tobacco cultivation, product manufacturing or cleaning up post-consumer waste. 3 5 11 12 In addition to avoiding full financial responsibility for the environmental impact of their business, tobacco companies are able to enhance their reputations and minimise harms through existing voluntary environmental data disclosure practices. 3 5 11 12 It is unacceptable that the industry can continue to make billions in profits while washing its hands of the destructive environmental impacts of smoking.

The environmental impact of tobacco

Recent attempts to quantify the detrimental impact of the global tobacco industry were significantly advanced following an assessment conducted by Zafeiridou, Hopkinson & Voulvoulis, (2018) 4 5 on behalf of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). For the first time, this report evaluated tobacco’s global footprint across its entire supply chain. As can be seen in Figure 1 the tobacco supply chain in its entirety involves a number of stages each with divergent different environmental demands and consequences. 4 5 The authors emphasised the stages of cultivation, curing, and manufacturing as being particularly resource intensive posing substantial environmental impacts. 4 5 Each of these stages will be discussed in greater detail in the following sections.

The environmental footprint of a smoker

The environmental impact of being a smoker was also quantified at an individual level, highlighting the sizeable individual contribution of a single smoker, whereby even one cigarette is associated with an environmental burden. 4 5 The authors calculated the environmental impact of one person smoking a pack of 20 cigarettes every day for 50 years, these were quantified as: 4 5 6

• A total carbon footprint of 5.1t CO2 equivalent emissions, which to offset, would require 132 tree seedlings planted and grown for 10 years. 13
• A water footprint of 1,355 m3, which is equivalent to almost 62 years’ water supply for any three people’s basic needs. 14
• Total fossil fuel depletion of 1.3 tonne oil equivalent, which is comparable to the electricity use of an average household in India for almost 15 years. 15

Tobacco’s efficiency and yield on resources was also highlighted, with the authors reporting that in comparison to the average consumer of sugar in one year a smoker contributes almost five times more to water depletion, nearly ten times more to fossil fuel depletion and four times more to climate change. 4 5 Research predicts that by 2025 cigarette consumption may rise from current levels of six trillion to nine trillion sticks, 16 this prediction has significant environmental consequences. 3 5 16 This could result in required agricultural land use of 7.9 million hectares, water and fossil fuel depletion of 34 billion cubic metres and five Million tonnes oil equivalent respectively, and annual CO2 equivalent emissions reaching almost 130 Million tonnes. 4 5 Summatively these findings have reinforced the ideal that smoking needs to be highlighted as a global problem affecting us all, not just smokers and those around them. Research evidence has irrefutably demonstrated the level of damage smoking is posing to the sustainability of our environment. 4 5

Assessing environmental impact during the lifecycle of tobacco

Key findings of research conducted by Zafeiridou, Hopkinson & Voulvoulis (2018) as illustrated in figure 2 were: 3 4 5

• The six trillion cigarettes manufactured each year globally take up some 5.3 million hectares of land and requires more than 22 billion tonnes of water.
• The cigarettes were manufactured in nearly 500 factories across 125 countries. The cultivation of 32.4 Million tonnes (Mt) of green tobacco, used for the production of 6.48 Million tonnes of dry tobacco in the six trillion cigarettes manufactured worldwide in 2014.
• All of this produced 25 megatons of solid waste, 55 megatons of waste water, almost 84 megatons of CO2 emissions to climate change – approximately 0.2% of the global total.

The authors’ report utilises established life cycle analysis techniques to evaluate the global cigarette supply chain and consumption. To ensure rigour it incorporates available published data plus transparent assumptions based on international best practice where data gaps exist. Research findings report tobacco’s total annual carbon footprint to be 84 million tonnes. 4 5 To contextualise the magnitude of this, entire countries such as Peru and Israel have comparable emission levels. Similarly, findings reported 21 (Million tonnes oil equivalent) of fossil fuel were depleted on an annual basis, this is equivalent to the total primary energy consumption of New Zealand and Hungary. Parallel trends were also reported for water depletion, demonstrating water loss of 22,200 Million tonnes which is more than 2.5 times the annual water supply to the entire population of the UK. 4 5 12 17 18

The authors clearly demonstrated through their analysis that every stage of the global tobacco supply chain requires substantial resource inputs. Collectively, the environmental cost and impact posed by tobacco is vast. When considering the competing demands on our available natural resources, the value of tobacco as a commodity must be questioned. Zafeiridou, Hopkinson & Voulvoulis (2018) advocated that due to the detrimental environmental, health and economic tobacco poses, that it is incompatible with the global development agenda. The authors reiterated the importance of strategies aimed at dissuading uptake of smoking and reducing tobacco consumption levels. 4 5

Tobacco Cultivation Commercial tobacco farming takes place across 125 countries, primarily in Brazil, India and China. 2 3 4 5 The global assessment of tobacco production reveals a massive imbalance. 4 5 Tobacco companies have resultantly shifted 90% of their cultivation and production to lower income countries, in order to cut costs and circumvent regulation. 5 8 19 To save money, tobacco plants are grown in monocultures – the practice of growing large amounts of one crop on an area of land. 2 3 12 13 19 To combat the problems that arise from monocropping, the tobacco industry uses large quantities of chemicals and pesticides which pose hazardous risk to both the farmer and towards the environment. 20 21 22 23 Every year between one and five million pesticide poisonings are reported which result in the deaths of an estimated 11,000 agricultural workers worldwide. 21 For tobacco farming, irrigation and fertiliser use together drive more than 70% of the environmental damage across most impact categories. 4 5

Currently, 5.3 million hectares of fertile land is used to grow tobacco. 4 5 There is evidence of substantial, and largely irreversible losses of trees. 2 3 5 An estimated 1.5 billion hectares of forests have been lost worldwide since the 1970s, contributing to up to 20% of annual greenhouse gas increases. 3 22 Due to the volatility of tobacco crop this land has a limited lifespan for tobacco production. Tobacco cultivation is promoted to farmers as a profitable venture, although recent years have seen increased costs of production along with declining global prices for tobacco. 3 22 23 Not only is tobacco production labour and resource intensive, it is harmful to both the environment and farmers’ health. 3 Tobacco production also endangers food security, as growing tobacco diverts agricultural land that could otherwise be used to grow food. 3 Under Articles 17 and 18 of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, parties are required to have due regard to the protection of the environment and to promote alternatives to tobacco growing. 3 24 Policy recommendations were adopted by the 6th Conference of the Parties in November 2014. 23 24 Zafeiridou, Hopkinson & Voulvoulis’ (2018) research findings have provided clear and indisputable evidence that tobacco cultivation is not sustainable. Harmful impacts include pollution, soil degradation and deforestation, contributing to adverse climate change and biodiversity losses. 3 4 6 12

In addition to the health risks posed by using pesticides, tobacco growers are susceptible to the occupational illness “green tobacco sickness” (GTS). 25 The illness is caused by the absorption of nicotine through the skin from contact with wet tobacco leaves. Symptoms of GTS include headaches, nausea followed by vomiting, weakness, dizziness and abdominal cramps, and occasional fluctuations in blood pressure and heart rates. A review of 31 studies of health risks associated with tobacco farming found that seasonal prevalence of GTS ranged from 8% to 89%. Children, who make up a significant proportion of tobacco farming workforces, are especially vulnerable to GTS. Not only because their body size is smaller relative to the dose of nicotine absorbed but they lack tolerance to the effects of nicotine, causing severe health problems. 25

Tobacco Curing To preserve tobacco leaves for storage, transport and processing after harvesting they must be cured (dried). “Sun” or “air” curing involves leaving the tobacco to dry naturally which can take several months. Many farmers “flue” cure their tobacco. 3 25 During this process the leaves are hung and heated air removes water from the leaves. It is estimated that close to 50 million trees are cut down every year for that purpose. Research has shown this process to be highly energy intensive with use of coal or wood contributing to greenhouse gas emission and deforestation. 3 4 5 25 At the curing stage, the direct burning of wood and coal accounts for more carbon emissions than all other stages combined, releasing at least 45 Million tonnes CO2 equivalent globally in a year (that is excluding the deforestation impacts driven by the unsustainably sourced wood). 4 5

Processing and cigarette manufacturing Zafeiridou, Hopkinson & Voulvoulis (2018) identified energy use as the focal contributor of the environmental impacts within cigarette manufacturing. Additionally, the choice of energy source can also affect the overall environmental footprint. 4 5 The industry has admitted to its negative environmental impact. In its 2006 Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) report, Imperial Tobacco stated: “Our greatest direct impact on the environment comes from our product manufacturing activities”. 24 26 Research has previously reported that out of every dollar of industry costs, 43 cents are attributable to the manufacturing process, in contrast to only four cents spent on purchasing tobacco leaf itself. 27 28

Packaging The resources used in the production of non-tobacco elements such as filters, cigarette paper, and packaging each pose their own environmental impact. Such impacts are exacerbated when considering the scale of quantities used in the manufacturing of 6 trillion cigarettes annually. Research has demonstrated that more than 1 Million tonne of filters and about 2.15 Million tonne of packaging are estimated to be used by the tobacco industry in a year (not including shipping requirements). 4 5 Even packaging that relies on wood pulp, including ‘sustainable’ packaging that is used to replace plastic, poses a threat to forests. 29 30 31 Following strong support, the UK Government committed to introduce packaging Extended Producer Responsibility which could include tobacco packaging and cigarette butts. If implemented, this could incentivise manufacturers to design tobacco packaging that is easy to recycle and ensure that they pay the full net cost of managing packaging and cigarette butts once they becomes waste. 32 33

Use and final disposal Over the past two decades cigarette filters have been recorded as the most abundant litter item worldwide. 29 Research has consistently demonstrated low levels of proper cigarette disposal, with an estimated 766,571 metric tons of cigarette butts being littered. 29 33 34 35 Findings from a recent Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs commissioned survey conducted by Keep Britain Tidy reported that cigarette butts make up the vast majority of litter items (66%) when examining litter in terms of their numbers. 36 It is not just the volume of this waste that is a problem they have been shown to be an environmental hazard. Conventional filters are made from cellulose acetate. Research has shown that they only lose an average of 38% of mass in two years of decomposition, and contain multiple toxic substances which infiltrate the environment. 31 33 34 35 Tobacco companies have since been exploring the prospect of biodegradable filters. 29 31 35 Evans-Reeves, Lauber & Hiscock recently urged that this assertion should be considered with caution, against claims from tobacco industry their products are “eco-friendly” or “green”. 31 Little evidence exists to support this, as biodegradable filters would still leach harmful chemicals into the environment if discarded improperly. 29 31 32 The fact that clean-up and disposal costs of tobacco use fall to the government and local authorities is a completely unsustainable situation. 30 31 The tobacco industry should be held accountable for the costs of addressing the issue of cigarette litter in our environment. The report has also proposed a number of recommendations to address issues highlighted. These include the need for standardised and complete environmental data, promotion of sustainable production and investment and the introduction of measures to ensure the industry are accountable for the environmental call of tobacco. 4 5

• Strengthening the global evidence base: research has clearly demonstrated that in the absence of robust environmental data from the tobacco sector, not only will the true environmental impact not be realised but it represents a massive challenge for policy makers to address and manage the issue effectively. Research has reinforced the need for the government to mandate for systematic and extensive reporting from the tobacco industry on all of their activities and operations across the entire supply chain.
• Encouraging sustainable investment: governments need to create the conditions and regulatory frameworks to encourage investment in sustainable alternatives rather than in tobacco.
• Pricing of environmental externalities: to hold the industry accountable and encourage the move to more sustainable alternatives, the environmental externalities of tobacco must be reflected in tobacco taxing.
• Tobacco waste and Extended Producer Responsibility: extended Producer Responsibility regulations would make tobacco producers accountable for the post-consumer cigarette waste, obliging them to take responsibility for the prevention and mitigation of tobacco product waste.
• Assist tobacco farmers in switching to alternative crops or activities: to encourage and help tobacco farmers switch to alternative crops or activities policies should support them in their transition, especially those with low skills and/or tied by their outgrower contracts with the tobacco industry. Substantial work has already been carried out in this area by the WHO FCTC Conference of the Parties, as set out in COP decision FCTC/COP6(11) Economically sustainable alternatives to tobacco growing (in relation to Articles 17 and 18 of the WHO FCTC).
• Minimising environmental damage on farms: to incentivise the adoption of more sustainable agricultural practices, it is important to provide farmers with the necessary knowledge and skills, and assist them with access to tools that will help them improve their productivity.
• Empowering the public and changing consumer behaviours: the most effective way of reducing the supply of tobacco products would be to reduce the demand for them. Demand-side measures aimed at raising awareness among public of the devastating environmental impacts of smoking and ultimately changing consumer behaviours play a crucial part in tobacco control strategies.
• Fostering cooperation through partnerships: Cooperation between public, private and academic partners, as well as the involvement of environmental activists, will be essential for a speedy transition from tobacco and to achieving the Global Goals. Partnerships, implemented in line with Parties’ obligations under Article 5.3 of the FCTC, can encourage the innovation needed to monitor and protect the health of the ecosystems affected by tobacco.

Irrespective of the issues with data disclosure from the tobacco industry, existing research demonstrates that the impacts of tobacco exist on a global scale. 3 4 5 Zafeiridou, Hopkinson & Voulvoulis, (2018) have provided strong evidence of the negative environmental impact which tobacco cause. 4 5 Collectively when combining the environmental cost with its proven detrimental health, social and economic impacts, this makes it incompatible with the global development agenda. 4 5 31 Regardless of how efficient and regulated the tobacco industry becomes, just as there is no such thing as a risk free cigarette the tobacco industry will always pose environmental risks. 3 4 5 Tobacco products aren’t just a threat to your health, they are deeply unethical products that threaten the environment and trap those most in need in cycles of inequality. 3 31 As we face ever more critical decisions about how to preserve our planet and sustain our future, this hugely damaging industry needs to face up to its inconvenient truths.

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Evans-Reeves K, Lauber K, Hiscock R. The ‘filter fraud’ persists: the tobacco industry is still using filters to suggest lower health risks while destroying the environment. Tobacco Control [Internet]. BMJ Publishing Group Ltd; 2021 [cited 2021 Apr 29]. Available from: https://tobaccocontrol. bmj.com/content/early/2021/04/26/tobaccocontrol-2020-056245 .

Environment, New waste rules will make EU global front-runner in waste management and recycling, European Commission, 18 April 2018, accessed March 2020

Tobacco Tactics, Tobacco and the environment https://tobaccotactics.org/wiki/tobacco-and-the-environment/

Ocean Conservancy, 2019, Ocean Conservance; https://oceanconservancy.org/ (2019), Accessed 4th Apr 2021

Araújo MCB, Costa MF. A critical review of the issue of cigarette butt pollution in coastal environments. Environmental Research. 2019; 172:137–49

Green DS, Kregting L, Boots B. Smoked cigarette butt leachate impacts survival and behaviour of freshwater invertebrates. Environmental Pollution. 2020; 266:115286.

European Commission, Circular Economy: Commission welcomes Council final adoption of new rules on single-use plastics to reduce marine plastic litter, 21 May 2019, accessed January 2021

Bonanomi G, Incerti G, Cesarano G, Gaglione SA, Lanzotti V. Cigarette Butt Decomposition and Associated Chemical Changes Assessed by 13C CPMAS NMR. PLOS ONE. Public Library of Science; 2015; 10(1):e0117393.

Green DS, Boots B, Da Silva Carvalho J, Starkey T. Cigarette butts have adverse effects on initial growth of perennial ryegrass (gramineae: Lolium perenne L.) and white clover (leguminosae: Trifolium repens L.). Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety. 2019; 182:109418.

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Tobacco and the Developing World

Around 1.1 billion people aged 15 and over smoke, with 80% living in LMICs (low and middle income countries). Tobacco growing and consumption have become concentrated in the developing world where the health, economic, and environmental burden is heaviest and likely to increase.

What's in a cigarette?

Cigarettes look deceptively simple, consisting of paper tubes containing chopped up tobacco leaf, usually with a filter at the mouth end. In fact, they are highly engineered products, designed to deliver a steady dose of nicotine.

Webinar: On the path to ending smoking: using the new funding

On the path to ending smoking: using the new funding webinar recording and slides

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Essay On Tobacco threat to Our Environment In 500+ Words

Hello My Dear Lovely Friend, In this post “ Essay On Tobacco threat to Our Environment “, We will going to read about the  World No Tobacco Day Theme’s “ Tobacco threat to Our Environment ” as an Essay in detail. So…

Let’s Start…

“Invest your time and money on things that keep you happy, healthy, and alive. Tobacco is made to kill you, stay away from it.”

It is always better to be safe about things than to be sorry later. we always say that ‘Prevention is better than cure and it applies to many different facts of our lives.

Even though man has become very intelligent today. but still knowing everything, he is suffering from a great problem and possessed by a demon named tobacco. Tobacco is a great problem in our society and is a threat to our environment.

World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) is an annual awareness day taking place on 31 May. It was created in 1987 by member states of the WHO to raise awareness of the harms caused by tobacco products to people, public health, communities, and the environment.

Every year, the theme of WNTD addresses a specific issue related to tobacco and its industry. the theme of WNTD 2022 is “Tobacco’s threats to our environment” highlighting that, throughout its life cycle, tobacco pollutes the planet and damages the health of all people.

Tobacco cultivation produces almost 84 megatons of CO2 emissions per year. Tobacco doesn’t only harm the smoker, it also harms the environment. For every 300 cigarettes made, one tree is cut down. Six trillion cigarettes are made each year.

Smoking cigarettes emit toxic substances into the atmosphere which harm the environment and people. Globally 1.8 million deaths are caused by lung cancer annually.

Tobacco smoking is the most common cause of lung cancer, contributing to roughly 1.2 million deaths per year.

Tobacco taxation is one of the most effective and cost-effective measures for controlling tobacco use and preventing cancer. Tobacco goes far beyond an issue of health. it places a tremendous burden on countries least equipped to respond to tobacco-related illness and death.

7 in 10 teens are estimated to be exposed to e-cigarette adverts and teen e-cigarette users are also more likely to start smoking tobacco. Governments must take a strong regulatory approach to e-cigarettes, to protect youth.

Tobacco use burdens the global economy with an estimated USD 1.4 trillion in health care costs and lost productivity each year.

According to WHO, tobacco kills seven million people each year. It’s cultivation, processing, production, and disposal also harm the ecology immensely.

Tobacco smoke emissions spewed thousands of tonnes of human carcinogens, toxic substances, and greenhouse gases into the environment.

Cigarette and bidi butts and other tobacco waste make up the largest number of individual pieces of litter in the world.

Tobacco cultivation and the curing process contribute to deforestation, soil depletion, loss of soil nutrients, and pollution due to the heavy use of agrochemicals.

The tobacco industry is a heavy polluter and is enlisted under the red category. tobacco manufacturing produces chemical waste including nicotine.

Many tobacco manufacturing units operate within residential areas, polluting the surrounding waters and soil. Cigarette and bidi butts are concentrated in toxic waste dumps and cause toxic waste problems. These discarded butts are non-biodegradable.

Cigarette filters are made of cellulose acetate, which is a form of plastic, resistant to biodegradation and that can persist in the environment for generations.

When discarded carelessly, it leaches out toxic chemicals in the environment, thus contaminating it with heavy metals and over 4000 poisonous chemicals like nitrosamines, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, nicotine, and many more.

Considering the effect of tobacco on the environment, forests, and people’s health at large, the world bank 1991 announced that it would no longer lend, invest or extend loans for tobacco production, processing, or marketing.

Tobacco can have a disastrous impact on our health. In our environment, chewing tobacco is slowly becoming endemic-students, professionals, taxi drivers, laborers, children young and old people all take it.

In a recent survey, we found that chewing tobacco by nearly 70% of college students in several Indian cities.

Tobacco also contains nicotine, which is a highly addictive psychoactive drug. when tobacco is smoked, nicotine causes physical and psychological dependency. Tobacco smoking can lead to lung cancer, chronic bronchitis, etc. it also increases the risk of heart disease.

Essay On Only One Earth In English In 500+ Words

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Thanks For Reading “ Essay On Tobacco threat to Our Environment “.

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In the world everyone knows what is tobacco.Tobacco can effect our body but we must understand that in one way we are living in this Earth with the process of tobacco so last I would like to thank all the WHO all the members thank you all.

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Tobacco Smoking and Its Dangers Essay

• To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
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• As a template for you assignment

Introduction

The dangers of smoking, possible pro-tobacco arguments, annotated bibliography.

Tobacco use, including smoking, has become a universally recognized issue that endangers the health of the population of our entire planet through both active and second-hand smoking. Pro-tobacco arguments are next to non-existent, while its harm is well-documented and proven through past and contemporary studies (Jha et al., 2013). Despite this fact, smoking remains a widespread habit that involves about one billion smokers all over the world, even though lower-income countries are disproportionally affected (World Health Organization [WHO], 2016). In this essay, I will review the dangers of tobacco use and consider some of the remaining pro-tobacco arguments to demonstrate that no reason can explain or support the choice to smoke, which endangers the smoker and other people.

Almost every organ and system in the human body is negatively affected by tobacco, which is why smoking is reported to cause up to six million deaths on an annual basis (WHO, 2016, para. 2). The figure is expected to grow and increase by two million within the next fifteen years (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2016a). Smoking can cause cancer in at least sixteen organs (including the respiratory and digestive systems), autoimmune diseases (including diabetes), numerous heart and blood problems (including stroke and hypertension); in addition, it damages lungs, vision, and bones, and leads to reproductive issues (including stillbirth) (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 2016).

Moreover, nicotine is addictive, and its withdrawal symptoms include anxiety, which tends to cumulate and contribute to stress (Parrott & Murphy, 2012). Other symptoms may involve mood swings and increased hunger, as well as thinking difficulties (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2016b). Sufficient evidence also indicates that smoking is correlated with alcohol use and that it is capable of affecting one’s mental state to the point of heightening the risks of development of disorders (Cavazos-Rehg et al., 2014).

In the end, smoking reduces the human lifespan, as a result of which smokers are twice as likely as non-smokers to die between the ages of 25 and 79 (Jha et al., 2013, p. 341). Fortunately, smoking cessation tends to add up to ten years of life for former smokers, if they were to give up smoking before they turned 40 (Jha et al., 2013, p. 349). Similarly, the risk of developing mental issues also tends to be reversed to an extent, but it is not clear if it becomes completely eliminated or not (Cavazos-Rehg et al., 2014). The CDC (2016b) also reports that smoking cessation results in an improved respiratory condition and lower risks of developing cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and infertility.

At the same time, Cavazos-Rehg et al. (2014) state that there is not sufficient evidence to indicate that smoking cessation may cause mental issues, which implies that ceasing to smoke is likely to be a very good decision. Unfortunately, it is not always easy; many people make several attempts at quitting, experiencing difficulties because of abstinence symptoms, and in the process may gain weight and may require the help of professional doctors and counselors (CDC, 2016b). It is also noteworthy that only twenty-four countries in the world have comprehensive services aimed specifically at smoking cessation assistance (WHO, 2016, para. 18).

To sum up, tobacco is a drug that is harmful to people’s health, but it is also the basis of a gigantic industry that is subject to taxes, which implies that governments are typically interested in its development (CDC, 2016a). As a result, their spending in the field of prevention and cessation activities may not live up to expectations, despite the fact that governments have multiple means of reducing tobacco consumption, in particular, banning ads, adding taxes, and eliminating illicit trade (WHO, 2016). In the meantime, people who smoke search for arguments in order to rationalize their choice, which contributes to the deterioration of their own health and that of their communities.

It Is Not That Dangerous

It is admittedly difficult to find a reputable source that would promote smoking, which is understandable. However, certain pro-tobacco arguments can be suggested for the sake of attempting to understand the reasons for the phenomenon. For example, given the obvious lack of positive judgments, it may be hinted that the problem is overrated and the horrors of tobacco use are exaggerated. In this case, it is implied that scientific studies that highlight the dangers of smoking are not trustworthy to some extent. In fact, it cannot be denied that untrustworthy studies exist, but the scientific community does its best to eliminate them.

For example, the article by Moylan, Jacka, Pasco, and Berk (2012) contains a critique of 47 studies, which allows the authors to conclude that some research studies do not introduce sufficient controls. Despite this, the authors maintain that there is satisfactory evidence that indicates a correlation between certain mental disorders and smoking. They also admit that the evidence is less homogenous for some disorders, and suggest carrying out a further examination. As a result, it appears possible to consider the effects of tobacco use that are described by reputable organizations and peer-reviewed articles to be correct, which implies that all the horrible outcomes are indeed a possibility.

Tobacco Has Positive Effects

Given the information about tobacco’s negative effects, any number of positive ones that it may have appears insignificant. However, these may still be regarded as a pro-tobacco argument. One example is a calming, “feeling-good” effect that smokers tend to report. Parrott and Murphy (2012) explore this phenomenon, along with other mood-related effects of tobacco use, and explain that the feeling of calmness is the result of abstinence symptoms abatement.

In other words, smokers do not experience calmness when they get a cigarette; instead, they just stop experiencing abstinence-related anxiety. Moreover, apart from causing anxiety as an abstinence symptom, smoking tends to heighten the risks of various mental disorders, including anxiety disorder (Moylan et al., 2012), and alcohol use disorder (Cavazos-Rehg et al., 2014). It may be suggested that the belief in the positive effects of smoking is likely to result from the lack of education on the matter (WHO, 2016).

It Is My Free Choice

The freedom of choice is important to defend, and some may argue that they like the taste of the smoke or enjoy some of its effects (like the above-mentioned calming one), and they have the right to make a choice with regard to what they are going to do with their lives. Unfortunately, there is a factor that makes their choice more socially significant: Second-hand smoke intake also can affect people’s health in a negative way.

WHO (2016) estimates that about 600,000 non-smoking people, who never chose to smoke but were forced to inhale some second-hand smoke, die every year because of smoking-related issues (para. 2). In 2004, twenty-eight percent of second-hand smoke victims were children (WHO, 2016, para. 14). In other words, a smoker needs to be cautious and attempt to ensure that no deaths are caused by his or her free choice.

Moreover, even the freedom of the choice to smoke is sometimes questionable. In particular, the media has been accused of creating alluring images of smoking, which impairs the ability of people to make their own decisions (Malaspina, 2014). Similarly, the phenomenon of social smoking is explained by the wish to fit in within a community, to which teenage persons are especially prone (Nichter, 2015). As a result, the free choice argument may be regarded as typically invalid, which makes tobacco smoking even less reasonable or defensible.

It is extremely simple to argue against tobacco use: The activity has virtually no pluses, and any advantage that can be discovered by a diligent researcher would probably seem insignificant when contrasted to all the problems that smoking tends to cause. Despite this, people proceed to smoke as a result of the lack of education on the matter (WHO, 2016), harmful media images (Malaspina, 2014), and probably a number of other factors.

It is noteworthy, though, that since 2002, the number of people who have managed to quit smoking exceeds that of active smokers (CDC, 2016b, para. 22). Given the pressure of WHO (2016) in urging governments to do more to improve the situation, we may hope that tobacco use will be greatly reduced in the future, and people will stop engaging in this kind of self-harm.

Cavazos-Rehg, P. A., Breslau, N., Hatsukami, D., Krauss, M. J., Spitznagel, E. L., Grucza, R. A.,… & Bierut, L. J. (2014). Smoking cessation is associated with lower rates of mood/anxiety and alcohol use disorders . Psychological Medicine , 44 (12), 2523-2535. Web.

The article investigates the correlation between smoking cessation and certain mental disorders with the help of data from a national longitudinal study that was carried out in the United States between 2001 and 2006 by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. The article concludes that there is a drop in anxiety disorder as well as the use of alcohol that is related to giving up smoking. The authors highlight the fact that the conclusion is not final and suggest that additional investigation is required. However, in their view, the idea that smoking cessation is related to an increased risk of anxiety disorders remains unproven and even contradicted by the results of their research.

For this essay, the article contributes information about the relationships between smoking and mood issues, which contradicts the myth about nicotine calming people. Also, it demonstrates the positive effects of giving up smoking, which is an argument against continued smoking.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2016a). Smoking & tobacco use. Web.

The website offers fast facts on tobacco use, including those for the world and the United States, and illustrates them with the help of statistics. The facts demonstrate that smoking has a negative impact on human health (limiting the lifespan and causing diseases) and results in significant costs for countries (primarily as healthcare expenditures). Also, the website mentions that tobacco prevention expenditures and efforts are often limited. The website finishes with statistics that illustrate the scope of the problem, that is, the number of smokers in the United States.

For this essay, the website contributes useful information and statistics on smoking and its consequences, including data on costs. Also, it mentions the profitability of the tobacco industry, and the issue of preventive measures, arguments that are capable of explaining the phenomenon of the continued existence of the problem of smoking.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2016b). Quitting smoking . Web.

The website contains information on the difficulties in quitting, provides relevant statistics, and suggests informative and supportive resources for those who wish to quit. It also highlights the dangers of smoking, the benefits of quitting, and the specifics of nicotine dependence.

For this essay, the website contributes some information on the dangers of smoking with a particular emphasis on the dependence and its consequences. The statistics can be used for illustrative purposes, in particular, with respect to quitting difficulties. However, the website also demonstrates that quitting is possible and beneficial, which is an argument against continued smoking that can be employed in the essay.

Jha, P., Ramasundarahettige, C., Landsman, V., Rostron, B., Thun, M., Anderson, R. N.,… & Peto, R. (2013). 21st-century hazards of smoking and benefits of cessation in the United States . New England Journal of Medicine , 368 (4), 341-350. Web.

The article is devoted to conducting a new research on life expectancy in smokers in order to take into account new factors of the changing environment. Also, the authors consider the life expectancy of the people who have quitted smoking. The study has an impressive sample size: It uses 202,248 histories of smoking cessation. The authors conclude that smokers’ lives are shorter while ceasing to smoke can help to “gain” several years, especially if it is done before the age of 40.

The article offers evidence on lifespan reduction as a result of smoking, and some data on smoking cessation benefits that can be used in the essay as arguments and illustrations. Also, the sample size of the article implies its credibility, making it a more attractive source.

Malaspina, A. (2014). False images, deadly promises . Broomall, Pa.: Mason Crest.

The book contains much information on smoking risks, but it focuses on the role of the media in popularizing this habit. Also, it considers other reasons for taking up smoking, including peer pressure, and mentions the problem of the profitability of the tobacco industry, which hinders the process of smoking eradication.

The book offers a comprehensive overview of the costs of tobacco, which makes it a very useful source. For the essay, the book contributes the study of media tobacco images, which is an interesting perspective. It can be used to demonstrate the question of free choice and the effect of the media on that choice.

Moylan, S., Jacka, F., Pasco, J., & Berk, M. (2012). Cigarette smoking, nicotine dependence and anxiety disorders: a systematic review of population-based, epidemiological studies . BMC Medicine , 10 (1), 123. Web.

The article reviews studies that are devoted to the correlation between anxiety and other mental disorders and smoking. The authors criticize some of the studies, demonstrating that there is limited evidence in some of them, but still conclude that the correlation between smoking and the risk of developing some disorders (in particular, generalized anxiety disorder) is sufficiently proven.

For the essay, the article provides direct information on tobacco use and its consequences and also demonstrates that unscrupulous studies are not unlikely to be produced, but this fact does not prove the lack of dangers in smoking. The existence of unscrupulous studies can be used as a pro-tobacco argument. Given the fact that it is difficult to find reputable sources that contain an alternative (approving) perspective on tobacco, it is a very important contribution to an argumentative essay.

Nichter, M. (2015). Lighting up . New York, NY: NYU Press.

The book contains a significant amount of information on tobacco-related issues, and it specifically focuses on the phenomenon of social smoking in college students. In particular, it discusses the issue of peer pressure as well as wrong perceptions, which are, in part, caused by the media. For example, it examines the harmful stereotype of smoking having a calming effect, which tends to attract youngsters who are experiencing a crisis.

The book is quite comprehensive and contains much useful information on smoking myths. For the essay, the book offers an explanation of one of the reasons for taking up smoking and demonstrates its harmfulness. It can be used to prove a pro-tobacco argument to be false and destructive.

Parrott, A. & Murphy, R. (2012). Explaining the stress-inducing effects of nicotine to cigarette smokers . Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental , 27 (2), 150-155. Web.

The authors explain the mechanism of the abstinence symptoms in smokers, relate it to resulting anxiety disorders, and demonstrate that the perceived calming effect of smoking consists of addiction consequences. In other words, the authors demonstrate that tobacco is only capable of removing the abstinence-related anxiety caused by smoking tobacco, which makes the effect pointless. The authors also review prior studies and show that non-smokers or quitters are less likely to report irritability, stress, depression, and anxiety than smokers.

For the essay, the article explains one of the few pro-tobacco arguments (that smoking has a calming effect) and proves that it is false and harmful. As a result, the article is an important contribution that provides some information on the opposite point of view, according to which there are benefits to smoking, and proves it wrong.

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. (2016). Effects of smoking on your health .

The website contains detailed information on health-related smoking effects. It demonstrates that there is hardly a part of a smoker’s body that remains unaffected. Also, the website describes particular issues that are caused by smoking, with respect to every specific part of a human body.

The website is the most comprehensive yet concise source in this bibliography with respect to smoking-related health issues. It presents information in the form of lists and pictures, which helps it to provide more details while taking up less space and readers’ time. For the essay, the website offers information on the health problems that are caused by smoking and describes them in greater detail than the rest of the sources.

World Health Organization. (2016). Tobacco fact sheet . Web.

The website offers limited statistics and information on the dangers of smoking and the process of quitting. Among other things, it describes the dangers of “second-hand” smoke with relevant statistics and an emphasis on the consequences for young children. Also, its states the WHO’s position on the matter, as well as the organization’s recommendations for government-level anti-tobacco activities.

For the essay, the website provides useful tobacco-related information that includes global statistics; the “second-hand” smoke information is also a very important argument that should be used in the paper. Moreover, the website creates a sense of urgency by demonstrating that the issue of tobacco smoking requires the attention of governments and healthcare organizations all over the world.

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Tobacco and the environment

3 ways JUUL harms the environment

Vaping, still at epidemic levels among youth with about one in five high school students using e-cigarettes in 2020, generates a significant amount of toxic and plastic waste. Many popular e-cigarettes, like JUUL, are pod-based with single-use plastic cartridges containing nicotine. Generating even more waste are disposable e-cigarettes like Puff Bar, which are designed entirely for one-time use and have skyrocketed in popularity with a 1,000% increase in use among high school students between 2019 and 2020.

With a 399.73% increase in retail e-cigarette sales (excluding internet sales and tobacco-specialty stores) from 2015 through 2020, the environmental consequences of e-cigarette waste are enormous. Instead of taking responsibility for the disposal of their products, tobacco companies engage in clean-up initiatives designed to make them appear “green” — just one of many tactics designed to overhaul their reputations (read the Truth Initiative report “ Seeing Through Big Tobacco’s Spin ”).

Almost half (49.1%) of young people don’t know what to do with used e-cigarette pods and disposable devices.

More than half (51%) of young e-cigarette users reported disposing of used e-cigarette pods or empty disposables in the trash, 17% in a regular recycling bin not designed for e-cigarette waste, and 10% reported they simply throw them on the ground, according to Truth Initiative research conducted in 2020. Almost half (49.1%) of young people don’t know what to do with used e-cigarette pods and disposable devices.

Their actions should come as no surprise as e-cigarette manufacturers fail to provide consumers with guidance or take responsibility for appropriate disposal methods. In a separate study conducted by Truth Initiative in 2019, almost half (46.9%) of e-cigarette device owners said that the e-cigarette device they used currently did not provide any disposal information, such as where to send used batteries or empty pods. Additionally, when e-cigarette device owners were asked about e-cigarette waste disposal, the majority (73.7%) believed that it was difficult to find e-cigarette drop off sites.

How e-cigarette waste hurts the environment

E-cigarettes not only pose substantial health risks to youth and young adults, they pose a significant environmental threat (see the Truth Initiative fact sheet on Tobacco and the Environment ).

E-cigarette waste is potentially a more serious environmental threat than cigarette butts since e-cigarettes introduce plastic, nicotine salts, heavy metals, lead, mercury, and flammable lithium-ion batteries into waterways, soil, and to wildlife.

Unlike cigarette butts, e-cigarette waste won’t biodegrade even under severe conditions. E-cigarettes left on the street eventually break down into microplastics and chemicals that flow into the storm drains to pollute our waterways and wildlife.

DISPOSING OF USED E-CIGARETTES AND ACCESSORIES

How do you recycle a juul.

Many young e-cigarette users reported throwing away, improperly recycling, or littering the devices. Only 15% of young e-cigarette users reported disposing of empty pods or disposable vapes by dropping them off or sending them for electronic recycling.

According to a survey conducted from February to June 2020, e-cigarette users reported how they disposed of empty pods, disposable e-cigarettes, batteries or other vape pieces:

• More than half of respondents (51%) said that they throw empty pods or empty disposable vapes in the regular trash
• 17% of young people disposed of empty pods and disposable vapes by putting them in regular recycling not designed for e-cigarette waste
• 10% disposed of used pods or disposable vapes by littering on the ground.

Respondents also reported keeping or selling the devices, or returning them to a vape shop.

YOUNG PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THE NEGATIVE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF E-CIGARETTE WASTE

Are e-cigarettes bad for the environtment.

In a separate study conducted in October 2019, researchers found that young people clearly understand that e-cigarette waste is bad for the environment. The majority of respondents between 15-34 recognized that empty e-cigarettes, pods, cartridges and refills are litter (86.9%) and that e-cigarettes are not biodegradable (65.7%). They also recognized the danger of throwing e-cigarette waste in the trash (75.8%). Most respondents acknowledged that e-cigarettes and related materials contain substances that are toxic to humans (84.1%) and harmful to animals (89.8%)

Young respondents clearly recognized the dangers of e-cigarette waste to humans and the environment and want an appropriate method to recycle. Of the 544 young people who owned e-cigarette devices, 75.7% said that they considered recycling e-cigarettes.

E-CIGARETTE USERS THEMSELVES ARE LESS AWARE OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF LITTERING

Is juul bad for the environment.

Even though the majority of survey participants knew about the dangers to the environment presented by e-cigarettes, those who had vaped at least once were significantly less informed about the environmental impact of littering e-cigarettes than those who had never vaped. The 966 respondents who had never vaped more often believed that e-cigarette waste was dangerous to throw in trash compared to the 1,083 respondents who had vaped at least once (81.4% vs. 71%). Fewer of those who had vaped at least once (79.3%) believed that e-cigarettes contained toxic substances compared to those who had never vaped (89.6%).

MANY UNAWARE OF HOW TO BEST DISPOSE OF E-CIGARETTE WASTE

How do you dispose of a juul.

Many of those who vape were likely to report issues that kept them from being able to safely dispose of their used and empty e-cigarette products. Of e-cigarette device owners, the majority (73.7%) believed that it was difficult to find e-cigarette drop off sites and almost half (46.9%) said that the e-cigarette device they used currently did not provide any disposal information such as where to send used batteries or empty pods. More than half (57.8%) of those who had used e-cigarettes in the past month found it inconvenient to dispose of e-cigarette waste responsibly.

How to safely dispose of e-cigarettes

Safely disposing of e-cigarettes involves handling the batteries and e-cigarettes appropriately. To dispose of e-cigarettes:

• local waste departments about their household hazardous waste (HHW) program to see if they accept e-cigarettes.
• If HHW is not an option, remove the battery (if possible) and bring the battery to recycling. After the battery has been removed, bring the rest of the e-cigarette to DEA take-back days (see: E-CIGARETTE MANUFACTURERS FAIL TO PROVIDE USERS’ DISPOSAL INFORMATION).

E-CIGARETTE MANUFACTURERS FAIL TO PROVIDE USERS’ DISPOSAL INFORMATION

Can you throw away a juul in the trash.

E-cigarette manufacturers introduced a new tobacco product that soared in popularity with little thought on how to responsibly dispose of the resulting tons of e-cigarette waste. Unlike other electronics, e-cigarette manufacturers do not provide consumers with clear instructions on how to properly handle e-cigarette waste once the e-cigarette or its accessories reaches the “end of life.” They leave the onus of figuring out how to safely dispose of e-cigarettes to the consumer.

Currently, there is no standardized way to recycle e-cigarettes in the U.S. Starting in 2019, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) began accepting e-cigarette devices and cartridges during their annual National Prescription Take Back Day, although the DEA cannot accept devices containing lithium ion batteries. There are also no documented baseline standards for end-of-life disposal by manufacturers, and no requirement in place to hold manufacturers accountable for the post-consumer waste they helped produce or to devise a clear and safe system to dispose of these items as hazardous materials or electronic waste. Guidance exists on best practices on this concept of accountability — known as end-producer responsibility — but isn’t enforced across the industry by any governing body.

Unlike other electronics, e-cigarette manufacturers do not provide consumers with clear instructions on how to properly handle e-cigarette waste once the e-cigarette or its accessories reaches the “end of life.”

PR INSTEAD OF PROBLEM-SOLVING

Can you throw away an e-cigarette.

Instead of accepting responsibility for their product, tobacco companies are using the environmental problems associated with tobacco products as a ploy for positive press attention. Some tobacco companies have included reducing the amount of cigarette butts in the environment as part of their sustainability goals . For example, American Spirit continues its “inspirational” themed environmental messaging in 2021 with a new “Stronger Together” slogan that describes American Spirit and their fans as “stronger together” when working to protect the environment and reaffirms their goal to help recycle a half-billion cigarette butts by 2025. Philip Morris International (PMI) — the makers of Marlboro — claims it wants to reduce plastic litter from its products by 50% from 2021 to 2025 as part of its “Our World Is Not an Ashtray” initiative. Notwithstanding that filters — which are made of plastic — make it easier to smoke, to inhale more deeply, and convince smokers that they are using a “safer” cigarette when in fact smoking filtered cigarettes provides no health protection and may lead to an increased risk of adenocarcinoma of the lung.

PMI also touts clean-up efforts but these efforts barely make a dent in the vast amounts of tobacco litter, given that with up to two-thirds of every smoked cigarette discarded onto the ground, 340 and 680 million kilograms of waste tobacco product litter the world each year. The sheer volume of e-cigarette waste that is created in a year can be estimated by looking at national sales data. Data collected by the CDC Foundation capturing units of e-cigarette sales per month between 2016-2020 showed over 201 million new devices in the US in 2020. Because proper disposal of components and hazardous waste is not easily accessible to the average consumer, this could potentially translate into 201 million pieces of plastic, aluminum, lithium ion, and packaging that ends up in landfill as a result. But more importantly, campaigns like “Our World is Not an Ashtray” are hypocritical at best and deeply misleading to the public. The tobacco industry not only created this new waste stream in the first place, they seem to be trying to cover-up their harmful practices through misdirection and public displays of eco-activism.

ADDRESSING E-CIGARETTE WASTE POLLUTION

E-cigarette pollution.

There is an urgent, overdue need for standardized processes for the disposal of e-cigarette devices, refills and e-liquids. Waste management and hazardous waste disposal plants are not currently equipped to handle e-cigarette waste and federal regulations still have not caught up to the need for guidance on disposal of these types of small electronics containing toxic waste. Federal, state, and/or local governments need to set clear standards on environmentally responsible e-cigarette waste disposal and hold the industry accountable for adhering to them.

There is an urgent, overdue need for standardized processes for the disposal of e-cigarette devices, refills and e-liquids.

NEED FOR INDUSTRY ACCOUNTABILITY

What is being done about e-cigarette pollution.

• The tobacco industry must accept responsibility for e-cigarette waste. The tobacco industry is responsible for producing much more than tobacco products — they are guilty of creating hundreds of thousands of pounds of e-cigarette waste, which presents serious threats to the ecosystem and require a long-term solution. The tobacco industry needs to facilitate the environmentally safe disposal of their products.
• Public awareness of hypocritical tobacco company-sponsored “clean-ups.” The public needs to know that green initiatives sponsored by the tobacco industry are a smokescreen to distract from culpability for creating tobacco waste in the first place.
• E-cigarette manufacturers need to better inform e-cigarette users of the environmental impact of littering e-cigarettes, since those who had vaped at least once were less aware of the environmental impact of littering e-cigarettes compared to those who had never vaped.

Increasing consumer awareness of the environmental toxicity and dangers posed by discarding e-cigarette waste into landfills and encouraging vapers to quit are the best ways to protect the environment from tobacco product waste.

SURVEY METHODOLOGIES

E-cigarette Brand Tracking Survey (October 2019): Truth Initiative conducted a survey on e-cigarette littering awareness and intentions of 2,049 youth and young adults (age 15-34) to better understand perceptions of environmental impact of e-cigarette waste. Survey respondents included non-smokers, smokers of traditional tobacco products, as well as e-cigarette users.

Media Monitoring Survey (February – June 2020): Truth Initiative collected data on e-cigarette disposal methods over a 17-week period from 3,757 youth and young adults (age 15-24). The survey included a section on e-cigarette waste disposal knowledge and beliefs.

More in harmful effects of tobacco

Nearly half of all cancer deaths in the U.S. are preventable — and smoking is a leading risk factor

Not-so-disposable e-cigarettes: Young people grapple with e-cigarette waste amid lack of safe disposal options

Secondhand smoke and secondhand aerosol

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Tobacco is a deadly threat to global development

Dr margaret chan, former director-general of who.

When I reflect on my tenure as Director-General of the World Health Organization, there are many areas where the agency played its unique role as the guardian of health for all people.  

But I am especially proud of our work to fight tobacco use, something that I have personally championed since 2007.

Tobacco is a deadly product that kills more than 7 million people every year, and costs the global economy more than US$ 1.4 trillion annually in healthcare expenditure and lost productivity.

Tobacco control will play a major part in meeting the Sustainable Development Goal target of reducing premature deaths from noncommunicable diseases by one-third by 2030.

But tobacco control is about more than preventing deadly cancers, heart diseases and respiratory diseases. In addition to posing a serious threat to health, tobacco use also threatens development in every country on every level and across many sectors — economic growth, health, education, poverty and the environment — with women and children bearing the brunt of the consequences.

The theme for this year’s World No Tobacco Day, on 31 May, is "Tobacco – a threat to development". This year, WHO will launch a new report that highlights the great harm to the environment inflicted by tobacco growing, manufacturing, trade and consumption. For example, growing and producing tobacco uses 4.3 million hectares of land resulting in deforestation of 2-4%, and the pesticides and fertilizers used in tobacco growing can be toxic and pollute water supplies. Tobacco manufacturing produces over 2 million tonnes of solid waste each year. Up to 10 billion cigarettes are disposed in the environment every day. Cigarette butts account for 30-40% of all litter collected in coastal and urban clean-ups.

Tobacco farming also stops children from attending school and exposes them to hazardous chemicals. Children in tobacco-growing families often miss class because they are needed to work in the tobacco fields. Women are also disproportionately at risk of chemical exposure, as they make up 60-70% of the tobacco farming workforce.

Tobacco use hits the poorest people the hardest and exacerbates poverty. Spending on tobacco products often represents more than 10% of total household income – meaning less money for food, education and health care. Some 80% of the premature deaths attributable to tobacco use occur in low- or middle-income countries. These countries bear almost 40% of the global US$ 1.4 trillion cost of smoking from health expenditures and lost productivity.

Tobacco use hits the poorest people the hardest and exacerbates poverty. Spending on tobacco products often represents more than 10% of total household income.

Fortunately, we have powerful tools to fight the tobacco epidemic. The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC), the first international treaty negotiated under the auspices of WHO, provides governments with clear, legally binding measures that they can introduce to reduce the harm caused by tobacco use. These include banning advertising, promotion and sponsorship of tobacco, effectively warning about the harmful effects of tobacco use, implementing tax or price policies and protecting people from exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke.

In line with WHO’s FCTC, WHO’s MPOWER measures support countries to reduce demand for tobacco, using methods that are practical, low-cost and high-impact. Tobacco taxation is a powerful tool for saving lives. Taxes reduce smoking rates and help government raise revenues to improve health and promote development. Increasing tobacco taxes and prices is one of the most effective, yet least utilized control measures globally. By increasing cigarette taxes worldwide by US$1, an extra US$ 190 billion could be raised for development.

We need to make sure that countries know that this tool exists and how to use it. Ministers of health are convinced by the evidence, and I ask them to be vocal in persuading ministers of finance, trade, foreign affairs and others not to be swayed by the unsubstantiated arguments of the tobacco industry.

Many countries have already shown tremendous progress in reducing tobacco use. Our challenge now is to help more countries follow suit, and to fight the efforts of the tobacco companies to hinder or counter progress that has been made by countries implementing strong measures.

Everyone can help play a role in stamping out tobacco and promoting development at the same time. People can commit to never take up tobacco products or to seek help to quit the habit. Governments can strengthen implementation of the WHO FCTC.

The tobacco industry is a vector of one of the greatest threats our society faces. It takes courage to antagonize powerful economic operators. If we fail to accept this responsibility, we will never make sufficient progress in health and development.

WHO stands ready to help governments introduce innovative approaches to tackle tobacco use. We have taken off our gloves and entered the ring on the side of the countries working to advance tobacco control, and we are going to fight tobacco tooth and nail.

If we rise to the challenge of beating tobacco by adopting measures that reduce demand for this deadly product, we can promote a healthier, more sustainable world.

Dr Margaret Chan

Former Director-General WHO

• WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control
• Press release: Beating tobacco for health, prosperity, the environment and national development
• World No Tobacco Day, 31 May 2017

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Replacing tobacco with hemp in the beqaa is financially rewarding for farmers and government in lebanon.

1. Introduction

1.1. the purpose of the study, 1.2. reasons to replace tobacco with hemp, 2. materials and methods, 2.1. methodology.

• Identifying hemp for medical and industrial uses as an alternative to tobacco, establishing benchmarks, and defining the scope of the investigation.
• Determining the respective costs of tobacco and hemp, encompassing the estimation of total costs and financial savings.
• Highlighting the direct, quantifiable, and tangible benefits arising from both alternatives.
• Based on the analysis, we selected hemp as the more economically advantageous product.

2.2. Assumptions

2.3. limitations, 3. understanding cannabinoids, 3.1. why hemp is important, 3.1.1. use of hemp and cbd oil, 3.1.2. the market, 3.1.3. trends and market dynamics, 3.2. the major driver: legalization and regulatory changes, 3.2.1. challenges, the concentration of generated wealth in big pharma, cost of cbd challenge, 3.2.2. opportunities, policy amendments to address past failures, the green rush of investors, 3.3. key players in the international market, establishing local and regional supply chains, 3.4. the economic crisis and the flourishing drug production in lebanon, 3.5. the legal framework for cannabis in lebanon, key aspects of law no. 178.

• Defines the cannabis plant and its derivatives, including the psychoactive THC and non-narcotic CBD.
• Establishes the regulatory authority, its structure, and its roles, including the appointment of a committee to assess licensing compliance.
• Charged with implementing and enforcing the law, determining cultivation areas, and setting substance levels.
• Tasks include developing a national strategy for cannabis, advising sectors, granting licenses, and preventing monopolization.
• The authority is also responsible for creating an electronic database for monitoring and regulating the industry.
• Managed by a board of directors and a general manager.
• The board comprises seven members, representing various ministries and experts in related fields.
• The authority has exclusive rights to issue licenses for cultivation and related operations.
• Types of licenses include importation, cultivation, manufacturing, research, and exportation, among others.
• Entities eligible for licenses include Lebanese pharmaceutical and industrial companies, foreign companies, cooperatives, individual farmers, and research institutions.
• Licenses are issued for three years and include specific conditions, with a renewal process in place.
• Applications are evaluated for compliance with legal standards, and decisions are made within sixty working days.
• The authority must provide clear reasoning for any rejection, and applicants have the right to appeal.
• Regular inspections ensure adherence to license conditions and industry standards.
• The law emphasizes transparency and traceability from seed importation to product sale.
• Licensed entities must maintain detailed records accessible to the authority and preserved for ten years.
• Entities must comply with the conditions for importation and exportation, including submitting detailed operational plans to the authority.
• Annual estimates and periodic data must be provided to both the authority and the International Narcotics Control Board.
• A specialized register, overseen by the General Director, logs all transactions and losses, with strict prohibitions on record alterations.
• Criminal penalties for violations include imprisonment, fines, and license revocation.
• Companies are required to fund awareness campaigns and support rehabilitation initiatives.
• Personnel implementing the law are subject to existing tax laws.
• The law aims to provide economic benefits, support sustainable development, and align with global trends in regulating cannabis cultivation.

4. Research Gap

6. discussion, 7. conclusions, author contributions, institutional review board statement, data availability statement, conflicts of interest.

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Share and Cite

Abboud, M.; Gemayel, J.; Khnayzer, R.S. Replacing Tobacco with Hemp in the Beqaa Is Financially Rewarding for Farmers and Government in Lebanon. Agriculture 2024 , 14 , 1349. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14081349

Abboud M, Gemayel J, Khnayzer RS. Replacing Tobacco with Hemp in the Beqaa Is Financially Rewarding for Farmers and Government in Lebanon. Agriculture . 2024; 14(8):1349. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14081349

Abboud, Mazen, Joseph Gemayel, and Rony S. Khnayzer. 2024. "Replacing Tobacco with Hemp in the Beqaa Is Financially Rewarding for Farmers and Government in Lebanon" Agriculture 14, no. 8: 1349. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14081349

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