Tobacco and the Environment

The growing, processing and smoking of tobacco all have major, negative impacts on our local and global environments.

• If people stopped smoking, their health and that of passive smokers would be improved and lives could be saved. The environment would benefit as well for the simple reason that there would be a reduction in:

   

  • the number of butts littered (butts are not biodegradable and leak toxins into the soil)
     
  • the number of forests being destroyed globally to plant tobacco
  • the number of forests being destroyed in developing countries where burning wood is used to cure tobacco crops. Curing takes place once the tobacco leaf is picked. Curing is the controlled drying of tobacco leaves which enhances the tobacco's texture, colour and aroma. Curing means the leaf must be heated at high temperatures for about a week. Developing countries cure tobacco by burning wood which creates tobacco smoke. This means that many forests are destroyed in developing countries in order to cure tobacco as part of the cigarette production process
  • the side effects of deforestation (the cutting down of forests), which include soil erosion and flooding
  • global warming (caused by the burning of fossil fuels such as wood from forests)
  • the amount of paper used to manufacture cigarettes and produce cigarette advertising materials
  • the amount of cigarette wrapping and packaging that enters the waste stream.

·         Growing tobacco means that large amounts of fertilisers, herbicides and pesticides are used. As many of these are toxic (some being cancer causing) pesticide-resistant mosquitoes and flies may develop. In developing countries, such insects would have a major impact on human health if they were to enter village water supplies.

·         Between one-quarter and one-third of fires around the world are caused by careless smoking. Apart from the human and property cost, such fires impact on woodlands and forests and the animal, bird and insect life which live there.

Source: http://www.nswcc.org.au/cncrinfo/schools/students/smoking_environment.htm