Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Facts About Smoking and Our Environment

Smoking endangers the health of smokers and non-smokers alike. What many people don't realize is that this nasty habit also endangers our environment.
Since time immemorial, we have been told over and over again about the detrimental effects of smoke on one's health. On top of this, we have also been informed about the lethal effects of second-hand smoke, which affects non-smokers who are unfortunate enough to inhale it simply because a smoker is among them. Yet, the factual knowledge concerning the negative effects of smoking on our environment is something not all of us know about. Reasonably speaking, the facts about smoking and our environment does not show a pretty picture. Let us learn what they are:
  • Obviously, since smoking is air-borne, it contributes to the already polluted atmosphere we have. Specifically, of the 4,000 harmful chemicals a cigarette contains, two of its gases have been confirmed to contribute to the negative green house effect, which is the culprit for the global warming the world is experiencing at present. These gases are are carbon dioxide and methane.
  • Although the smoke coming from the cigarette of one smoker is negligible, the smoke coming from billions of smokers throughout the world generates enough poisonous gas to aggravate our already terribly polluted air. Even if we do not do the math, we can easily tell that on a daily basis, the amount of smoke contributing to environmental pollution would eventually add up.
  • Pollution generated by smoking is not limited to the air. It also affects the land and water. Just look at all the cigarette butts and ash being dumped on the ground and swept along in canals or other bodies of water, and you will understand why this is so.
  • The most serious environmental effect of smoking could be more attributable to the production of cigarettes than smoking itself. In manufacturing cigarettes, four miles of paper are used per hour simply for rolling and packing them. Paper, as we all know, comes from trees, and for every 300 cigarettes manufactured, one tree goes to waste. The trees that are supposed to filter out the pollution from the air are instead being used to contribute to it. Ironic, isn't it? Moreover, the tobacco industry has refused to resort to upgrade their technology in an attempt to reduce their consumption of trees because this means a big portion has to be taken out of their profit annually.
  • In 120 countries, tobacco is the most popularly grown crop that is not intended for food. The land being occupied by the aforementioned can be used instead for growing other food crops; this means being able to feed up to 20 more million people.
  • The tobacco plant necessitates chemicals and pesticides to keep it healthy, for it is classified as a sickly plant. These chemicals and pesticides are absorbed into the ground. They also go up to the air. All in all they worsen pollution.
  • The number one cause of indoor pollution is burning tobacco.



Summary:

Since time immemorial, we have been told over and over again about the detrimental effects of smoke on one's health. Yet, the factual knowledge concerning the negative effects of smoking on our environment is something not all of us know about. The facts about smoking and our environment does not show a pretty picture. If smoking endangers smokers and non-smokers alike, then it is logical to assume that this nasty habit also endangers our environment on the whole.


Resource Box: Maricel Modesto is a writer and editor who writes for various health and lifestyle magazines.