Thirty percent of the American population are smokers. In other countries, especially developing countries, this percentage is much higher. While most people are aware of the damage that smoking does to their body, few are aware of the effects that smoking has on the environment. Below are a few of the major ways the cigarettes and production of tobacco harm the environment that we live in.
Air Pollution
Around 4,000 chemicals used in manufactured cigarettes are released into the air when a cigarette is burned, and to a lesser extent when a smoker exhales.
Water Pollution
Cigarette butts and filters easily make their way into streams, rivers and lakes where they can clog water intakes and pollute water as they degrade. Additionally, the toxins from cigarette butts can leach into groundwater.
Litter and Soil Degredation
In 2007, the number one waste found in community beach sweeps in the United States was cigarette butts. Those butts leach toxins into the soil, and are mistaken as food by birds.
Pesticides and Tobacco
Tobacco is one of the largest cash crops in the United States and ranks sixth among all agriculture for the amount of pesticides applied per acre. These pesticides end up in soil and water, and all 13 major pesticides used on tobacco have been shown to have some adverse affects on humans and animals.
Smoking and Fire
Cigarettes and careless smoking are the number one cause of forest and . Forest and release a lot of pollution into the atmosphere each year, including plant toxins and dioxins from burning plastic products.
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