- World No Tobacco Day is a global campaign from the World Health Organisation, which takes place on the 31st of May each year.
- This year the campaign is focused on tobacco’s effects on the environment.
- Organisations across Wales have voiced support for the campaign and have helped to raise awareness.
Organisations across Wales are showing support for World No Tobacco Day, an annual campaign which raises awareness on the harmful effects of tobacco. The campaign was created by the World Health Organisation in response to the global tobacco epidemic, which claims over 8 million lives each year.
This year’s campaign is focused on the environment, and how tobacco’s use, manufacture and waste harms the planet. This year’s theme will emphasise how the lifecycle of cigarettes can impact forests, farming and ecosystems across the globe.
On a global scale, it is estimated that 1.5 billion hectares of forest have been lost since the 1970s due to tobacco production. It is also estimated that each year, 200,000 hectares of land is cleared for tobacco growing and curing, which in turn affects the wildlife that call the planet’s tropical forests and grasslands home. Both statistics were published within WHO’s official campaign materials, which have been circulated to help change global perceptions on smoking.
In addition to harming landmass, the campaign draws into focus how cigarettes can harm the planet’s oceans. This year’s campaign highlights research by the Environmental Protection Agency, which found that a single cigarette butt left in a litre of water for 96 hours contains enough toxins to kill half of the fish that are exposed to it. The study highlights that even after use, cigarettes can damage aquatic life and fragile ecosystems. For context, it is estimated that 4.5 trillion cigarette butts are discarded globally each year, which often find their way into the planet’s seas.
Beyond cigarette waste, the production of tobacco presents a pressing strain on global resources. For example, fertile land that could be used to grow crops is often used to grow tobacco across the globe, which in turn can deplete nutrients from farmed soil. According to WHO, the soil depletion caused by global tobacco growing can be seen to contribute to food insecurity and nutrition challenges within the twenty-first century.
In addition to environmental harms, tobacco continues to harm global health. According to WHO, tobacco will sadly take the lives of half of those who smoke, globally. In addition, the organisation estimates that 1.2 million annual global deaths will be caused as a consequence of second-hand smoke.
Smoking remains the largest cause of avoidable and premature death in Wales. In 2018 alone, around 5,600 deaths in people aged 35 and over, and 28,000 hospital admissions were attributable to smoking in Wales. In addition to health harms, smoking is estimated to cost the Welsh NHS approximately 302 million each year.
In light of the global and local harms, Wales’ leading tobacco organisation ASH Cymru have doubled-up efforts to voice the effects of tobacco this year. In addition to supporting World No Tobacco Day, the organisation spearheads national awareness campaigns through the year. One such campaign is Smoke-Free Beaches, which seeks to highlight the harms of cigarette butts on the Welsh coastline.
Suzanne Cass, CEO of ASH Cymru, spoke about the importance of voicing the environmental effects of smoking. She said: “This year’s World No Tobacco Day, alongside our own campaigns, draws into focus that smoking not only impacts our health, but also impacts our surroundings.
‘Many people reading today’s campaign may think that smoking doesn’t affect Wales on a local level. But through our work on Welsh Beaches, we know cigarette butt litter remains a big problem on our shores, which in turn impacts the wildlife that call our coastline home”.
Last year, the Marine Conservation Society’s annual Beach Clean survey found that Welsh beaches held the highest amount of littered cigarette butts in Great Britain. The survey recorded 64 cigarette butts for every 100m of Welsh coastline, equating to around one cigarette for every 1.5 metres. The survey results have prompted environmental organisations across Wales to increase awareness of the harms of cigarette waste.
Dr. Laura Foster, Head of Clean Seas at the Marine Conservation Society, marked the benefits of today’s campaign. She said: “Today is a fantastic opportunity for organisations across Wales to raise awareness on the environmental harms of cigarettes.
‘Across the UK, our volunteers record huge volumes of cigarette butts on beaches year in, year out. Beyond the visible pollution problem cigarettes pose, they also leach harmful chemicals and microplastics into our seas as they break down. Today’s campaign highlights these harms, and the many more, that cigarettes pose to our environment”.
John Griffiths, Senedd member and chair of the Cross-Party Group on Smoking and Health, added words of support for smokers in this year’s campaign. He said: “As an ex- smoker, I know the difficulty many people face when trying to quit.
‘Quit attempts are often steered by a decision to improve physical health, personal finances or overall wellbeing. Today’s campaign adds the environment to the already long list of good reasons to seek support.
‘NHS Wales offers a brilliant smoking cessation service, which is free and accessible to all. My message to smokers is to keep trying to stop, as the health, financial and environmental benefits of quitting are far reaching”.
If you would like to access support to quit smoking, the free NHS Wales smoking cessation service can be accessed via: www.helpmequit.wales
References
- Tobacco epidemic claims 8 million lives each year stat, found here.
- WHO official WNTD22 environment campaign page, found here.
- 1.5 billion hectares of forests cleared for tobacco production stat, found here.
- 200,000 hectares of land is cleared annually for tobacco production, found here, here and here.
- WHO reference to the EPA study on cigarette waste’s effect on fish, here.
- San Diego State University study examining cigarette butts effects on fish, found here.
- 4.5 trillion discarded cigarette butts global stats can be found here, here and here.
- WHO resources outlining tobacco’s effects on soil, farming and food supplies, found here.
- Research outlining tobacco’s effects on soil resources, here.
- WHO estimate that tobacco kills half of its users globally, found here.
- 1.2 million annual global deaths will be caused by second-hand smoke stat, found here and here.
- Smoking remains the largest cause of avoidable and premature death in Wales, found here.
- Chief Medical Officer for Wales highting 2018 smoking related death figures (5,600 deaths), found here.
- Latest figures marking that smoking costs NHS Wales £302 million annually, found here, here and here.
- Cigarette waste toxicity to animals, aquatic life and the environment found here, here and here.
- Cigarette butt and microplastic pollution research can be found here.
- Marine Conservation Society 2021 Survey results found here and here.
