Tobacco and environment

January 14, 2020

Par: webstudio_editor

Dernière mise à jour: August 6, 2024

Temps de lecture: 16 minutes

Environment and tobacco

The life cycle of a cigarette takes a heavy toll on the environment, from tobacco cultivation to the disposal of butts and packaging. Although the ecological effects of tobacco are overshadowed by its devastating effects on human health, they are nonetheless significant and concerning.

Over the past 50 years, tobacco cultivation has shifted from high-income to low- and middle-income countries, in part because poor farmers view it as a cash crop. However, a growing number of studies have documented the widespread environmental damage caused by tobacco cultivation in the developing world. Tobacco cultivation and cigarette manufacturing, in particular, use large amounts of energy and water, and generate a lot of waste. Deforestation is one of the largest contributors to carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and climate change, while at least 200,000 hectares[1] of forest are lost each year for agriculture and the drying of tobacco leaves. Smoking directly causes the emission of 2.6 million tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere[2].

Tobacco cultivation and processing are among the most environmentally destructive agricultural practices in low- and middle-income countries. For example, the Miombo ecosystem in central South Africa (the world's largest contiguous area of tropical dry forests and woodlands) is home to 90% of all tobacco-producing land on the continent, and high levels deforestation due to tobacco caused half of the total annual loss of forests and woodlands. In Malawi, where tobacco production accounts for the largest share of agricultural land, tobacco cultivation is estimated to have caused up to 70% of national deforestation through 2008. Tobacco production in low-income countries and Intermediaries also disrupt the natural ecosystems on which residents depend. Unlike many food crops, tobacco offers no replenishment to the soil and the biomass (stems or plant residues) left after harvest has no food value for livestock and poultry.

The environmental damage caused by plastic waste, particularly to marine life, is now well documented. Tobacco products contribute to this epidemic. Cigarette butts, which contain cellulose acetate, a form of plastic that takes a dozen years to decompose, are among the world's most contaminated waste and are the leading human-made contaminant in the oceans in the world. As cigarette consumption is expected to increase in low- and middle-income countries, it is essential that tobacco control policies are implemented to reduce this environmental burden. Despite being one of the richest and most successful global industries, the tobacco sector continues to shirk all of its environmental responsibilities. There is a lack of accountability and transparency over the environmental damage caused by tobacco companies and a comprehensive WHO report recommends that governments require detailed reporting from the tobacco industry on the environmental impacts of their operations

Tobacco cultivation and pesticides

Grown in monoculture, tobacco plants are vulnerable to many pests and diseases. As a result, tobacco farmers use large quantities of fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides which can be dangerous to the farmer as well as the environment. Each year, between 1 and 5 million pesticide poisonings are reported, resulting in the deaths of approximately 20,000 agricultural workers worldwide[3]. Pesticides commonly used in tobacco production include: imidacloprid, chlorpyrifos, dichloropropene, aldicarb and methyl bromide.

Environmental laws are often less strict in low- and middle-income countries, where the majority of tobacco is grown, and farmers may lack personal protective equipment or training in handling hazardous pesticides.

The WHO has also expressed concerns about neuropsychiatric effects on tobacco workers who are exposed to organophosphate pesticides. Studies indicate increased rates of anxiety, depression and suicide among tobacco farmers exposed to these chemicals. A study of children working on tobacco farms in Mexico found that children exposed to toxic levels of pesticides had high rates of depression and anemia. Chemicals in pesticides also leach into soil and waterways, contaminating drinking water supplies and food chains.

Green tobacco disease

In addition to the health risks posed by pesticide use, tobacco farmers are subject to an occupational disease, "green tobacco disease." The disease is caused by the absorption of nicotine through the skin upon contact with moist tobacco leaves. Symptoms of green tobacco disease include headache, nausea followed by vomiting, weakness, dizziness, abdominal cramps, and occasional fluctuations in blood pressure and heart rate. Analysis of 31 studies on health risks associated with tobacco cultivation found that the seasonal prevalence of green tobacco disease ranged from 8% to 89%. It highlights an incidence of 1.9 cases per 100 person-days. Other studies have found that about a quarter of tobacco pickers have suffered from green tobacco disease at least once in their lives.

See our brief on green tobacco disease

Child labor

Children, who represent a significant proportion of the tobacco growing workforce, are particularly vulnerable to green tobacco disease. Not only because their body size is smaller in relation to the dose of nicotine absorbed, but also they lack tolerance to the effects of nicotine. A study by a children's rights organization found that children who work as tobacco pickers are particularly prone to green tobacco disease and absorb up to 54 mg of nicotine per day, causing serious health problems. .

Our brief on child labor in tobacco farming

Tobacco and deforestation

Tobacco cultivation contributes to both vegetation loss and climate change. Trees are cut down both to provide land for growing tobacco and also to provide fuel for drying or processing tobacco leaves. It is estimated that 200,000 hectares of land are cleared each year for tobacco cultivation. The loss of trees, which anchor the soil with their roots, leaves the soil vulnerable to erosion, which reduces soil fertility, making it more difficult for crops to grow. To preserve tobacco leaves for storage, transportation and processing after harvest, they must be dried. “Sun” or “air” drying involves letting the tobacco dry naturally, which can take several months. Also, many farmers burn their tobacco. During this process, the leaves are suspended and the heated air removes water from the leaves. This process takes a week and farmers usually burn wood to heat the air. According to the tobacco company Philip Morris International, approximately 10 kg of wood is required to dry 1 kg of tobacco leaves[4].

Deforestation has been a particular problem in Tanzania, where about 80% of tobacco is air-cured. In the tobacco-producing region of Urambo, more than 61,000 hectares of land are cleared each year. Likewise in Malawi, which devotes more than 5% of its agricultural land to tobacco, the rate of deforestation is the fourth fastest in the world.

Impact on food production

When farmers grow tobacco, less land is available for food crops. This is particularly important in low- and middle-income countries. Between 2011 and 2013, the top 25 tobacco leaf producing countries had high levels of undernourishment in their populations.

Although tobacco cultivation is rotational and different crops are planted in both years, the soil in which tobacco is grown is prone to wind and water erosion, making it less suitable for food crops. In addition, tobacco plants use more nutrients than many other crops, leading to further soil degradation. Under Articles 17 and 18 of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, Parties to the treaty are required to give due consideration to environmental protection and promote alternatives to tobacco cultivation. Policy recommendations were adopted by the 6th Conference of the Parties in November 2014[5].

Pollution

The production, consumption and disposal of cigarettes pollute the environment. The manufacturing of cigarettes and cigars creates large quantities of waste in the form of tobacco sludge, solvents, oils, paper, wood, plastic, packaging materials and also generates air pollution.

Cigarette smoke is a known environmental pollutant and classified as a class A carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.[6]. It also contains small amounts of radioactive material. Lead-210 and polonium-210 are absorbed from the soil through the leaves of the tobacco plant and remain during the drying and manufacturing process. Some phosphate fertilizers favored by the tobacco industry also contain radioactive materials that help increase radioactive levels in the soil. Radiation is not only released into the atmosphere when a cigarette is smoked, but disseminated into the ground and waterways from cigarette butts discarded by smokers. Discarded cigarette butts are not biodegradable and are the most common waste on beaches. It is estimated that around 4 trillion cigarette butts are thrown away around the world every year.

In addition to being unsightly, cigarette butts are a toxic contaminant, leaching/spreading many chemicals, including heavy metals, nicotine, and ethylphenol into water. Discarded cigarette butts pose a threat to animals and people, especially young children if ingested, which is not uncommon.

Marine animals are also vulnerable. Every year, thousands of marine mammals, birds and fish are sickened or killed by litter, including cigarette dumping in the sea. This is a growing problem and is causing significant problems for beaches.

All of this damage explains the recent measures taken by various public authorities, particularly local ones, to sanction any person who throws their cigarette butt on the ground.

Cigarettes and fire risk

Despite the introduction of reduced incendiary risk cigarettes designed to go out more quickly if the smoker stops puffing, cigarettes and smoking tobacco products remain the main cause of accidental fatal fires in homes.

PIR cigarettes, an essential standard against fires

Tobacco and climate change

Climate change is gradually increasing the overall temperature of the Earth's atmosphere. The rise in temperature is caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide, chlorofluorocarbons and other polluting gases in the atmosphere. These gases are released by the burning of fossil fuels and the felling of forests. All phases of tobacco production contribute to climate change, from agriculture to leaf processing and the manufacturing process. In a WHO report examining alternatives to tobacco cultivation, it was noted that although the global share of agricultural land used for tobacco cultivation is less than 1%, its impact on global deforestation is 2 to 4%, which makes climate change visible. Internal tobacco industry documents released in US litigation revealed that the tobacco industry was involved in initiatives that cast doubt on the evidence supporting climate change and may have hindered progress toward resolving the problem.

Sheet translated and adapted from Action for Smoking and Health UK

The ASH UK website: https://ash.org.uk/home/

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