Big Tobacco Causes Big Environmental Damage: WHO Report

(RTTNews) - The World Health Organization or WHO on Tuesday asked the tobacco industry to compensate for the massive environment issues caused by tobacco growing and usage.

WHO, in its first report on tobacco's impact on the environment, said the extensive use of chemicals, energy and water, and pollution from manufacturing and distribution of tobacco products, cause massive harm to the environment.

"From start to finish, the tobacco life cycle is an overwhelmingly polluting and damaging process," the report said.

As per the report, to mark World No Tobacco Day on Wednesday, the ecological footprint goes far beyond the effects of cigarette smoke. According to WHO, tobacco use kills 7 million people a year.

In order to control pest or disease outbreaks in tobacco plants, large quantities of insecticides, herbicides, fungicides and fumigants are required. The report noted that many of these chemicals are banned in some countries as they are so harmful to both the environment and farmers' health.

To cure tobacco leaves, vast quantities of wood are burned, contributing to deforestation. Some big growers are also using coal that emits carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas blamed for global warming, the WHO said.

In addition, millions of kilograms of non-biodegradable cigarette butts are discarded every year, the report noted. Also, tobacco waste contains over 7,000 toxic chemicals that poison the environment, including human carcinogens.

The UN agency called for the tobacco industry to compensate for its products that contribute to greenhouse gases, but it did not give any estimate of damage.

Oleg Chestnov, WHO Assistant Director-General, said, "Tobacco growing, the manufacture of tobacco products and their delivery to retailers all have severe environmental consequences, including deforestation, the use of fossil fuels and the dumping or leaking of waste products into the natural environment."

As per the report, Japan Tobacco, Philip Morris International, and British American Tobacco report on their use of environmental resources and waste streams, but the data is limited and opaque.

Further, China National Tobacco Co, which produces roughly 44% of cigarettes consumed globally, was criticized for not publishing comprehensive environmental data.

The WHO said it should be mandatory for tobacco companies to supply information on environmental damage.

"All producers should be required to compensate for the environmental harms caused by deforestation, water use, waste, etc. through offsets in order to ultimately reduce the long-term ecological harm their business causes," the report said.