According to the World Health Organization (WHO), smoking is not only bad for your health, but also for the environment. More than eight million people die each year in the production and use of tobacco. And 600 million trees, 200,000 hectares of land and 22 billion tons of water are consumed and about 84 million tons of climate-damaging carbon dioxide (CO2) is released, the WHO calculates in a report entitled “Tobacco: Poisoning our planet”.
The amount of CO2 corresponds to the emissions of about 17 million petrol cars per year. Tobacco products contain more than 7,000 toxic chemicals that are released into the environment when they are thrown away, WHO health promotion director Ruediger Krech said Tuesday on World No Tobacco Day. Each year, approximately 4.5 trillion cigarette filters end up in oceans and rivers, on sidewalks and floors, and on beaches.
The cost of cleaning up discarded tobacco products is almost always borne by the taxpayer, not industry. This costs China about $2.6 billion a year and India about $766 million. According to WHO estimates, the costs for Germany are more than 200 million dollars (186 million euros).
Call for a ban on filter cigarettes
WHO called on countries and cities to make the industry more responsible for the disposal of tobacco residues. In addition, politicians should consider banning cigarette filters. These contain microplastics and make an important contribution to plastic pollution. However, according to the WHO, their health benefits have not been proven.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
