WHO Warns of Tobacco Industry’s Environmental Damage

Rabat – The WHO has warned that the tobacco industry is one of the world’s biggest polluters.

In a report titled “Tobacco: poisoning our planet,” the global health body outlines the environmental harm that tobacco causes, from its production and transport, down to its disposal.

Notably, the report estimates that the production of tobacco releases as much as 80 million tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere each year.

Smoking tobacco is expected to have a huge impact on climate change, with each cigarette emitting approximately 14 grams of CO2 over its lifecycle, in addition to the health risks it poses on smokers and their surroundings.

The manufacture of cigarettes also carries health risks for the tobacco farmers, the report details, noting that they are exposed to toxic substances during their work. On average, as many as 25% of tobacco farmers are affected by nicotine poisoning.

The problem is exacerbated further with most farmers living in developing countries where they don’t have access to the best protection equipment or healthcare.

Water issue is another aspect of tobacco production’s toll on the environment, with a single cigarette requiring as much as 3.7 liters within its lifecycle. According to the report, the tobacco industry consumes 22 billion tonnes of water annually.

Tobacco farming also contributes in large part to deforestation in order to secure enough land for cultivating the product, especially in areas of higher risk of desertification and land degradation.

The WHO’s report also points out that an estimated 4.5 trillion discarded cigarette butts pose another risk, especially when discarded in the ocean where it threatens marine life.

Tobacco companies have regularly come under fire for shady legal, economic, and environmental practices.

Despite the health effects of cigarette smoking and the restrictions around buying cigarettes, companies like Philip Morris International continue to hold a significant amount of power, even suing entire countries sometimes.

The WHO says that while tobacco control measures can work, they’re often slowed by politicians who are not fully aware of — or choose to ignore — the impact of the products on the health or the environment.