World No Tobacco Day 2022: How tobacco harms the environment
The World Health Organisation has urged all smokers not to smoke this World No Tobacco Day. They also urged children and the youth to make the firm decision never to smoke - not one puff.
TODAY, Tuesday, May 31 is World No Tobacco Day. The World Health Organisation (WHO) emphasised how tobacco, in addition to being a health risk, also harms the environment and is a massive contributor to climate change.
According to the organisation, some 4.5 trillion butts are wrongly discharged into the environment every year.
The organisation shared that cigarette butts are cellulose single-use plastics and do not biodegrade.
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“Another major fact is that cigarette butts are found in the stomachs of dead seabirds and fish,” said the WHO in a statement.
Considering some of the facts, the organisation urged the South African government to take whatever action is needed to protect human rights and slow down the tobacco epidemic from harming people’s health and the environment by making sure that the Tobacco Bill is promulgated quickly.
They highlighted that banning tobacco displays, banning all indoor smoking, and controlling and limiting all outdoor smoking, are things that can be achieved now.
“Introduce plain packaging with large, graphic health warnings and messages. Ban all flavourings in tobacco products – especially ban menthol as an additive to all cigarettes.”
“We should impose a special tax on the industry for the litter it causes. We must stress and promote the cessation of smoking in all public places, both indoor and outdoor, as a clear human rights matter,” said WHO.
Other major facts:
– About 300 billion empty cigarette boxes are dumped every year
– 22 billion litres of water are used to make cigarettes every year
– 600 million trees are chopped down every year to make cigarettes
– 25% of world mortality is attributed to the environment
– Air pollution kills about seven million people prematurely every year
– 84 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (caused by tobacco) are released into the air every year, raising global temperatures. That’s more than what some small and medium countries create.
– There is a shortage of arable land with growing food shortages in developing countries. Nine out of ten countries where tobacco is grown are developing countries. Four of those are in debt crisis. Land used for growing a killer product like tobacco can be used to grow food. Alternative crops are also more viable and profitable.
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