SMOKING POLLUTES THE AIR, LITTERS OUR STREETS, WATER, AND RESULTS IN ACCIDENTAL INGESTION BY SMALL ANIMALS AND CHILDREN. COOPERATION IS NEEDED IN ORDER TO LESSEN THIS IMPACT, AND RESTORE THE PLANET TO HEALTH.

cigarette on grass

Ever since the Surgeon General’s first report on smoking in 1964, Americans have become more and more educated on the various forms of heart disease, lung disease and cancers smoking can create. It is also common knowledge that smoking causes discoloration of fingernails and teeth as well as other cosmetically damaging effects.

Worldwide, tobacco causes 5 million deaths annually, according to the World Health Organization. However, one of the most overlooked issues smoking creates is the damaging impact the use, and subsequent discarding of cigarettes, has on the environment.

Generally, the public is well aware that second-hand smoke is very dangerous. According to the CDC, second-hand smoke contains carcinogens, toxic metals and poisonous gases. While all of these substances obviously have adverse effects on human health, they also affect our environment as well. Second-hand smoke goes into our atmosphere and degrades air quality. The CDC also reports that a collection of experiments demonstrated that levels of respirable suspended particulates (RSPs) decreased by up to 96% in public spaces that banned smoking. This substantive improvement in air quality is not only for the sake of health, but a sustainable ecology as well.

Cigarettes are the most common individual item of litter.

Smoking pollutes the air, but the damage to the environment does not stop there. Discarded cigarette butts frequently litter public streets and entryways. Cigarettes are the most common individual item of litter. As reported by the New York Times, it is so prevalent that the city of San Francisco applies a 20 cent tax on cigarette purchases to help cover the $10.7 million the city spends every year on removing cigarette butts from public spaces.

The biggest issue concerning discarded cigarette butts is accidental consumption by children or small animals. Studies show that household pets or other small animals that make the mistake of ingesting cigarette litter may suffer tremors, vomiting, respiratory failure and even death. The sight of cigarettes disappearing into a storm drain may ease the guilt of a litterer, but those cigarettes often find their way into bodies of water, and subsequently, the stomachs of marine wildlife. According to a report from ANR, cigarette butts are also a hazard to infants and toddlers. The American Association of Poison Control Centers received 7,310 reports of potentially toxic tobacco product exposure cases in 2008. Just one cigarette butt is dangerous, and a whole cigarette may be lethal if ingested. Although the general public may not immediately recognize it, cigarettes are toxic waste and need to be disposed of properly.

Smoking’s Impact on our Waters: Oceans, Lakes, Rivers, and Bays

river

Our oceans, lakes, rivers, and bays are our planet’s lifeblood. Oceans are a primary force in regulating our planet’s weather and climate. Lakes and rivers provide fresh water to drink, and are a major food source for many cultures around the world. Bays and inlets can provide a sanctuary for fishing, as they can block strong winds and large waves. Keeping our water clean means more than campaigning against drilling, or stopping cans and waste from being thrown over the side of boats. One of the biggest threats to the safety of our planet’s waters, is smoking.

Data derived from the Ocean Conservancy demonstrated that approximately 3,216,991 cigarettes or cigarette butts were collected from beaches and inland waterways all over the world in 2009.

No-Smoke

While many know that one little cigarette contains about 600 chemicals, 69 of which have been proven to cause cancer, some may not realize that cigarettes produce over 7,000 chemicals when lit. The chemicals found in a cigarette are also highly soluble in water, and can saturate a body of water with contaminants. What often goes unnoticed, is the contents of a cigarette butt. Many are led to believe these make smoking safer. This, however, is simply not true.

Some are under the assumption that cigarette butts are biodegradable. They are not. Cigarette butts are comprised of cellulose acetate. This is a plastic that may disperse into smaller pieces, however, will never biodegrade. This material also meets all city and state department’s guidelines for what is considered to be toxic waste.

According to No-Smoke, data derived from the Ocean Conservancy demonstrated that approximately 3,216,991 cigarettes or cigarette butts were collected from beaches and inland waterways all over the world in 2009, during that year’s annual International Coastal Cleanup (ICC). However, an astonishing 1,362,741 cigarettes and butts were removed from the waterways of the United States alone. There were other items in relation to smoking that were further collected from U.S. waterways, as well. They include 18,555 cigarette lighters, 74,399 cigar tips, and 36,397 tobacco packages.

In a study performed by Elli Slaughter of San Diego State University, a single cigarette butt that had traces of tobacco was introduced to a liter of water. This resulted in high toxicity levels, and the death of 50% of the fish in the water. This is the result of one little cigarette butt.