In today’s fast paced world, everyone is busy in their own life, mindlessly working by leaps and bounds to achieve their objectives and in this process they are doing everything whatever it takes and being careless about what damages we are doing to this nature. Today, Industrial production, vehicles, construction work, smoking etc. are emitting pollution which are not only causing millions of deaths but also harming nature. Smoking might seem a small issue but in this article we will see how this so-called small issue is silently creating serious havoc to nature.
Consumption of cigarettes is increasing each year and research predicts that by 2025 the consumption will rise from 6 trillion sticks per year to 9 trillion sticks per year. Responsible for approximately 100 million deaths in the last century and 5.4 million in 2005 alone, 80% of all primary cancers are directly attributed to smoking. Cigarettes contain nicotine and nicotine is derived from tobacco plants, which is poisonous. Tobacco smoke contains many chemicals, of which many are toxic. Today, a total of 5.3 million hectares of fertile land is being used for the cultivation of tobacco.
Tobacco damages both nature and human lives. According to WHO, every year smoking causes more than 600 million trees, 8 million human lives, 22 billion tons of water, 200000 hectares of land and 84 million tons of CO2.
Impacts of Smoking on Nature
Deforestation
The whole manufacturing process of tobacco releases many toxic chemicals and generates huge amounts of waste which further adds more dangers. The key ingredient in the production of cigarettes is tobacco and it is a plant which is planted in rainforest areas. Where it is planted, it causes deforestation in that area. Deforestation has its additional effects such as soil erosion, loss of biodiversity and increasing global temperature. Huge amounts of chemicals used in the cultivation of tobacco such as pesticides and fertilizers introduce numerous pollutants to the environment which directly harm the environment.
Air Pollution
According to an experiment conducted in Italy, cigarette smoke produces 10 times more air pollution than diesel cars do and smoke of tobacco is more dangerous and poisonous than pollution caused by vehicles. The common elements of air pollution are mainly carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxide. Cigarette smoke includes nearly 7000 toxic chemicals and 69 of which are very carcinogenic which have 200 times higher life span compared to pollution caused by other sources. For human existence, breathing in fresh air is important but from all sides our efforts have been making the problem bigger rather than controlling it.
Littering Environment
Annually cigarette butts contribute 30-40% of total international coastal and urban cleanups items collection since the 1980s.
Besides it, cigarette filters, cigarette lighters, cigar tips and cigarette packages also support littering. These all items are thrown at recreational places, beaches, construction sites which usually do not degrade due to its ingredients which are technically biodegradable but degrade in certain biological conditions such as if it gets into sewage. These all items are a threat to the soil and water. Animals which ingest toxic chemicals in cigarette butts are adversely affected by cigarette smoking.
Forest Fires
Another hazard created by cigarette smoking is forest fires. Talking about property damages, 27 billion losses has been done, around 17,000 people each year die due to the fire started by cigarette butts or cigarette lighters. A fire started in China killed 300 people, left 5000 people homeless and damaged 1.3 million hectares of land. Fire caused by cigarettes brings many challenges such as deforestation, biodiversity, deaths of human and wild animals, global warming etc. According to a report, 5% of home fires started by Smoking materials between the years 2012-2016.
Costs of Cleaning Up
We have seen the contribution of cigarettes in the total waste. The burden of the costs of cleaning up falls on taxpayers who have nothing to do with it rather than those who are creating it. This costs $2.6 billion to China, $766 million to India and $200 million for Brazil and Germany. While some countries have taken the initiative by making manufacturers responsible for cleaning up the pollution by smoking cigarettes. If these types of stands are taken by each government, it can somewhat control the damages made by smoking cigarettes and its waste materials.
Solutions
The production of tobacco causes widespread environmental problems worldwide. It starts with the cultivation of tobacco and carries through the life of these products such as manufactured, marketed and consumed. After the extensive study of its harm preventing steps and strategies should be developed
It has been seen that the cultivation of tobacco plants is prevalent in poor countries. So, the farmers of those countries, involved in the farming of tobacco should be guided, trained and re-channelized in the cultivation of other locally grown crops. Government should organize agriculture programs to educate the farmers. They should get easy access to credit for cultivation of non-tobacco crops.
Mismanagement and lack of necessary preventative steps among the manufacturers of cigarettes cause major problems in the environment. Thus, the government should issue guidelines and make strict laws for the manufacturers of cigarettes. A strong regulation on tobacco manufacturers can stop the tobacco industry from harming nature. To discourage the manufacturers, the tax on the production and sale should be increased.
On the consumer end, the government should educate people not to consume cigarettes. Government should launch campaigns and programs for stopping the consumption of cigarettes. Government can also reward those who don’t consume cigarettes.
In our study, it is found that people have been harming all living entities, nature and the environment before harming themselves with the use of cigarettes. The entire process, from cultivation to production and consumption generates problems. We know well that we are facing an enormous challenge but with positivity we must underscore on making the difference. We all have to be responsible and take the steps which we can take as a citizen.
