From recycling and carrying reusable grocery bags to taking public transit, we are all becoming increasingly more aware of the need to be environmentally responsible. And if you’re a smoker, there’s another very important step that would be a win for your health and for the environment: Quit smoking this Earth Day.
Surprisingly, though, many of us don’t know that quitting smoking is another way to help combat climate change, or to significantly reduce exorbitant waste cleanup costs made far higher due to carelessly discarded cigarettes butts in streets, waterways, and public areas like parks and beaches. While tobacco is the No. 1 cause of preventable death, responsible for over 400,000 deaths each year in the United States, it is less known that cigarettes play a major role as toxic, hazardous waste in our already-overburdened environment. Astonishingly, the remnants of cigarette smoking represent the most prevalent form of litter found on Earth.
According to recent data from the Ocean Conservancy, more than 3 million cigarettes or cigarette filters/butts were removed internationally from beaches and inland waterways as part of the annual International Coastal Cleanup in 2009, including more than 1 million from the United States alone, making it by far the most littered item. We know that tobacco kills people, but do we ever wonder about the fragile ecosystems that can also be affected by the toxins in these tobacco products? Tobacco growing leads to soil degradation, and the wood used in the curing of tobacco can also contribute to deforestation. Pesticides used in tobacco production can also be harmful to the environment. And returning to climate concerns, which many believe to be the biggest environmental threat facing the planet, all stages of cigarette production and consumption potentially contribute to global warming, from the growing and curing of tobacco, to manufacturing and promotion and to the smoking and disposal of tobacco products.
Smokers may be tossing their butts without even realizing the impact it has on the environment. It’s possible that smokers think that because tobacco is organic, so its waste is harmless. However, that is not the case, because it is poisonous both to children and other living organisms, due to the nicotine, ethylphenol and heavy metals in its contents. Tobacco industry research reveals that there might be misconceptions that cigarette filters are readily biodegradable or inconsequential as waste because of their small size. In reality, the filters are made from cellulose acetate, a type of plastic that can take years to decompose.
The sure-fire way to combat this growing problem is to help people quit smoking. Quitting is a great way to live a longer, healthier life, akin to wanting clean air in our homes, neighborhoods, work places, towns and cities. It is a tough addiction to break, but, with help and a plan, one can succeed. This year, we hope that Earth Day – Thursday, April 22nd -helps to educate smokers about cigarettes’ impact on the environment, as well as serve as a motivator to redouble their efforts to stop, and by doing so to contribute to a legacy of a beautiful, healthy planet for future generations.
0 comments:
Post a Comment